'We didn't fly to Baghdad to drink coffee' (Former Russian Generals help Iraq prepare for war)

Gazeta.ru ^ | 04/02/03 | Alexander Kornilov

[Smogger]

Gazeta.Ru has obtained sensational evidence proving the involvement of a group of former Soviet generals in preparing the Iraqi army for war against the United States. The generals in question refused to discuss their degree of involvement, but admitted that just before the beginning of the US-led campaign against Iraq they received state awards from the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

Photos, which Gazeta.Ru has acquired, show an awards ceremony (namely awards, our sources emphasized, and not gifts), involving two very prominent Russian generals.

They are retired Soviet officers, Col.-Gen. Vladimir Achalov and Col.-Gen. Igor Maltsev. The former completed his military career as the Soviet deputy defence minister, after being the Air-Borne Troops commander and the first and last Soviet commander-in-chief of the rapid-reaction forces. The latter resigned from the post of the chief of the Main Staff of the Soviet Air Defence. In 1991 both generals backed the GKChP, (the State Committee for the State of Emergency, set up by a group of Gorbachev opponents with the goal of supplanting him and preventing the disintegration of the USSR) and were consequently dismissed from military service.

The photos show Achalov and Maltsev receiving awards from Iraqi Defence Minister Sultan Hashim Akhmed. Another photo commemorating the event features the Russian generals in the company of the head of the General Staff of the Iraqi Army Izzat Ibragim and his deputies. On the photo published above the Iraqi official is standing between Achalov and Maltsev.

According to our source who provided the photos, the ceremony was held ''less than 10 days before the beginning of the war'' in a building that was destroyed by US cruise missiles in the first few hours of air raids on Baghdad.

[Smogger]

Kornet missiles and now this. Some people are still a little miffed over losing the cold-war. BTW: I was going to post it earlier but it was still in Russian. Check out the pics.

[FredZarguna]

Just like the gajillion Palestinians, Syrians, Iraqi expatriates, etc, etc,
... PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ...
come to Baghdad for the weekend!
And try to pick-up as many Iranians, Chinese, and No Koreans as you can on the way.

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for posting this! That goes along with the post I did earlier about Russians still being in their embassy in Baghdad and mad because we bombed near their embassy!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/883211/posts?page=52

[Diogenesis]

========= Iraqi television =========

Iraqi TV boasts that they have Russian antitank 'technology,
given after OK by Putin himself..

---

========= Terrorist Enabling Russian =========

On the trail of WMD/cruiseMISSILE/GPS-jammers/-selling Putin,
Putin disingenuously denied that Russian firms sold military equipment to Iraq
because there were intermediaries.

Next time the Chechens attack you, and you look for sympathy and help:
Tuff $hit$ky, Commrade.

[William McKinley]

I wonder which worries them more. The fact that we have found this out, or the fact that what they taught the Iraqis seems to have mattered not one iota.

[lawdog]

PATTON was right. We are gonna have to kick their cabbage asses sooner or later. Putin is showing his true colors, KGB-mafia all the way! Kill the aid packages and watch them implode.

[Arpege92]

Good Point!!!!

[Asclepius]

'We didn't fly to Baghdad to drink coffee'

Is there a Starbucks in Baghdad?

[FredZarguna]

'We didn't fly to Baghdad to drink coffee'

...But sure wish we had some now to wash down the extra servings of humble pie.

[Wphile]

I do not believe that Putin is a man to be trusted. W needs to rethink his special relationship with Putin. This stinks to high heaven.!

[lmavk]

They sure didn't teach them very well!

[bybybill]

Will the Russkie Generals put Iraq on their resumes?

[SteamShovel]

Putin looks like a corpse

[spectre]

If I were paid to "advise" the Iraqi forces:

Based on their performance - I would not put this on my resume.

[dvan]

This is great! We can see that they must have really provided some good strategy to help Iraq!! LOL!!!!!! I think they were using the tactics the Russians used against Napoleon. Fall Back! Fall Back! Fall Backs! OOPs too far back. They got that part right- but the rest of the plan?

[mykdsmom]

I sure hope that GW will put a stop to his chumming up with Putin and quit extending those cozy little invites to his ranch and Camp David.

MKM

[FredZarguna]

At least they weren't stoopid enough to ask for Soviet vintage economic advisors.

[swheats]

Vlad, it must be all about the benjamins. Money brought them together, but millions can't make them friends.

[ApesForEvolution]

Russian pigs.

[Robe]

Is there a Starbucks in Baghdad?

Not any more !!!