Posted on 03/24/2006 5:48:17 PM PST by nickcarraway
The Russian government provided Saddam Hussein with intelligence on US military movements and plans during the opening days of the war in 2003, according to a Pentagon report released on Friday.
The unclassified report does not assess the value of the information or provide details beyond citing an Iraqi document that says the battlefield intelligence was provided to Saddam through the Russian ambassador in Baghdad.
A classified version of the Pentagon report, titled "Iraqi Perspectives Project," is not being made public.
Whether by chance or design, one piece of Russian intelligence actually contributed to an important US military deception effort.
By telling Saddam that the main attack on Baghdad would not begin until the Army's 4th Infantry Division arrived around April 15, the Russians reinforced an impression that US commanders were trying to create to catch the Iraqis by surprise.
The attack on Baghdad began well before the 4th Infantry arrived, and the Saddam regime collapsed quickly.
As originally planned by Gen Tommy Franks, the Central Command chief who ran the war, the 4th Infantry was to attack into northern Iraq from Turkey, but the Turkish government refused to go along.
I'm going with design. It was always one of my theories anyway..
It didn't exactly translate into a lot of help, did it?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1602722/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1602710/posts
Related but not identical threads.
If we made mugs out of the Russians, it still doesn't excuse their conduct.
I just hope US counter-intelligence was able to find out who the spy was and arranged a trip back to the states in a flag draped coffin.
Unfortunately the Russians could have handed the Iraqis the exact war plans the U.S. was going to use but it wouldn't have mattered. Iraq was using Russian training methods for their army and Russian doctrine.
1. Trade terrirotry for time.
2. Regroup gather forces for an overwhelming counter attack.
3. Counter attack when winter sets in.
Rationalize away to your heart's content.
Chechnya needs some intelligence...
The frogs gave the Iraqi's classified information about our NBC offensive and protection capabilities. Scumbags.
Ping, this contains slightly more info.
putin, kgb thug and murderer ping
IBTRWC!!!
(In before the russian wives club)
"3. Counter attack when winter sets in."
ROTFL
Third Country Sales of Arms require that the vendor provide a need before the customer purchases.... In the case of France and NBC equipment or the Russians and their battle plans, its creating the need and then after purchase service to the customer. Remember one thing folks, Russia, France, Germany and other countries lost market share in Iraq (read Customers), and in today's world the countries with access to markets have all the political might and business.
"If we made mugs out of the Russians, it still doesn't excuse their conduct."
Absolutely correct. Especially since it is starting to look like the Russians may be getting the last laugh in Iraq.
Hey how about those moles in the command ....
IBTRSVRWC.... In before the Russian (SVR) wives club ....
If there are moles in the command, then they should be tried for treason. You might want to look at some of the statements being made. We don't know, but there is some indication the Russians passed misinformation along to fog the Iraqi military minds. Senator Carl Levin hinted at that on a the tv today.
Well of course if moles were suspected, we gave bogus info.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.