Russian Generals in Iraq less than 10 days before War?

[Element4040]

It is kind of interesting to note that the US was making implications of Radar jamming technology supplied to Iraq during the bombing campain.

Below is an article about ex-Russian Generals visiting Iraq for the past couple of years and were there less than 10 days before the bombing campaign started. Diplomatic relations should be interesting as this War in Iraq winds down.

http://www.gazeta.ru/2003/04/02/Wedidntflyto.shtml

[Infrared]

Yes I agree, it's going to be very tough to restore all these diplomatic relations in the aftermath, especially when our new targets fall into the crosshairs.

But although the visits by these retired Russian generals hardly would have gone unnoticed by the Russian securities, they are just in fact that; retired generals....

They don't represent Russia, and I'd find it hard to believe that that will be totally held against that country.

That would be like saying Oliver North represented and spoke for the entire United States.

[Dionysos]

Originally posted by Infrared
That would be like saying Oliver North represented and spoke for the entire United States.

He doesn't?

[Element4040]

I agree with you Infrared, but I have a feeling that the Pentagon won't feel the same way. Since it would be very hard for those generals to be going back and forth to Iraq without the knowledge of the KGB, I'll bet the Pentagon will be trying to link these generals to the jamming aspects of the Anti-Aircraft missles. Who knows what they were really doing though. Really in my opinion it's pretty minor and I don't really care that they were there. I thought this would be a good article to post nonetheless.

[Infrared]

Originally posted by Element4040
I agree with you Infrared, but I have a feeling that the Pentagon won't feel the same way. Since it would be very hard for those generals to be going back and forth to Iraq without the knowledge of the KGB, I'll bet the Pentagon will be trying to link these generals to the jamming aspects of the Anti-Aircraft missles. Who knows what they were really doing though. Really in my opinion it's pretty minor and I don't really care that they were there. I thought this would be a good article to post nonetheless.

Yeah it wouldn't surprise me either if the Pentagon tried to link these guys to that newly aquired equipment in Iraq, and it does look pretty damn suspicious, it may very well be!

I wonder if when the Russians came across, if they were just travelling alone without "luggage".

[Krash]

Originally posted by RosebudProd
He doesn't?

I was going to say, "He didn't" but Poindexter has a lot to do with the current administrations, doesn't he?

So does Ollie North... he's one of the snior talking heads/ analysts at the United States Information Ministry...errrr.... I mean Fox News.

Funny how the same names keep coming up... is it deja vu or just plain fascism?

[zymote]

I don't know if any of y'all saw it, as it was barely a blip in the US news (but it was pretty big in international media), but we shot the Russian ambassador to Iraq as the remaining embassy staff was trying to leave Baghdad. He only suffered minor injuries, but that's beside the point. This was a planned evacuation, and US forces were notified, but they attacked the convoy anyway. It must have gotten Putin really riled up, because Condi was in Moscow the next day to smoothe things over.

[Element4040]

Originally posted by zymote
I don't know if any of y'all saw it, as it was barely a blip in the US news (but it was pretty big in international media), but we shot the Russian ambassador to Iraq as the remaining embassy staff was trying to leave Baghdad. He only suffered minor injuries, but that's beside the point. This was a planned evacuation, and US forces were notified, but they attacked the convoy anyway. It must have gotten Putin really riled up, because Condi was in Moscow the next day to smoothe things over.

There are 2 theories that I know of behind this one.

1) They were caught between some crossfire between US troops and some of the Saddam Fedayeen. This one seems to be the story most reported.

2) They were smuggling Saddam out of the country. This one is a conspiracy theory reported on Al-Jazeera. But I also have seen 2 interviews on BBC that suggests this might be true.

I believe it's probably theory number 1, but the interesting part is that Putin wouldn't meet with Rice on her visit.