'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.

[LaGrone]

I hope we totally cut them off, especially any technology transfers. An enemy through and through.

[Doctor Don]

We the USA are stupid!!! When will we ever learn who our enemies are and isolate them, punish them and stop giving financial aid to them!

[Pikachu_Dad]

Lets hope they were there as spies for the US.

It seems that their training the Iraqi's in the French style of warfare seems to have been effective.

[thermodynamics]

BOTH!!!!

[Enough is ENOUGH]

These Russian generals need to be body bagged. This is one opportunity to send the Russians a clear message that isn't necessarily available on the UN floor.

[Fury]

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

If the Russians prominently involve themselves in Iraq at this point, I don't think Allied forces will be serving "coffee"...

[Southack]

"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."

So we can thank Putin for Iraq's dismal performance?

Suckers...

[Damagro]

Lol, they can't seem to even hand pick a winner. These guys probably got all their experience in Afghanistan

[wingster]

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

And thank God they did! With a track record like they had in Afghanistan, please, send more! Who knows, maybe they were directly responsible for the brevity of the war, eh!

Shows what the Sovie..., er, a..., Russians know about fighting against the Americans. Check me if I'm wrong, but it appears to me to have been a complete and utter failure. For anyone coming over from CNN, please trust me on this. But since the Iraqi's are now relying on the importation of terrorists to fight their war, I'd say Iraqi military "tactics", if you can call them that, weren't exactly a rousing success, eh!

So please Putthead, send more! Humiliate you military even more than it already is! And by all means, thank you!

[Damagro]

You don't need coffee to stay awake in Baghdad these days. Lots of sleepless days and nights

[Bedford Forrest]

One war at a time, please, Mr. Secretary"

When you quote the proto-fascist's SecState, you might have the common decency to preface the quote with a Barf Alert!!! Make that a Double Barf Alert.

[Bedford Forrest]

When you quote the proto-fascist himself, you might have the common decency to preface the quote with a Barf Alert!!! Make that a Double Barf Alert.

[Centurion2000]

I think that had that great battle for Europe at the Fulda Gap actually occurred, the Russians would not have fared well.

After about 1982; you are correct .... before then (shudder)

[plusone]

Very good point. My apologies.

[gaucho]

Judging from the performance of the Iraqi Military, the Russian Generals may have done us a favor.

[Sawdring]

Great post! Can you imagine that the guy who wrote this didn't even give a source for the information that Primakov is being hired as a consultant? His source is a "News Clip." Did you find this at: http://www.impeach-bush-now.org?

[Sawdring]

Thanks for the flag and the post Phil. They forgot to chronicle Russia's military exercises and their test launching of an ICBM on March 27th.

[potlatch]

I'm really disappointed in Putin. During his visit here, talking about being a Christian and his Mother's cross and all, I thought maybe we'd have an improved relationship with Russia. Guess I'm gullable [sp?]

[Teetop]

Amazing how the socialist sets themselves apart, huh Sawdring? LMAO

[Stavka2]

Yeah, US sympathy, that's why the US has never labeled Chechins as terrorists no matter what they do, that's why State still regularly meets with them and they have an office in the US, that's why the Bush administration has followed the Klintoon administration's line and continues to back the KLA....yeah, what ever.