# It's not paranoia if it's true, is it? (Russia-Iraq) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 13, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-paranoia-if-its-true-is-it-russia-iraq/168504 "2003-04-13T21:44:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Raven\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@The\_Raven\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Raven_1)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-paranoia-if-its-true-is-it-russia-iraq/168504/1 "2003-04-13T21:44:06Z")
Howyadoin, From: > **[News](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/?xml=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F04%2F13%2Fwrus13.xml&sSheet=%2Fportal%2F2003%2F04%2F13%2Fixportaltop.html)** > > Latest breaking news, including politics, crime and celebrity. Find stories, updates and expert opinion. > [@](#): > > Top secret documents obtained by The Telegraph in Baghdad show that Russia provided Saddam Hussein’s regime with wide-ranging assistance in the months leading up to the war, including intelligence on private conversations between Tony Blair and other Western leaders. > > Moscow also provided Saddam with lists of assassins available for “hits” in the West and details of arms deals to neighbouring countries. The two countries also signed agreements to share intelligence, help each other to “obtain” visas for agents to go to other countries and to exchange information on the activities of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qa’eda leader. Ok, so we have this, the weapons and equipment sales, the technicians in Baghdad right up 'til the invasion… Doesn’t look like Russia’s hands are very clean, duzzit? Of course, I’m ignorant as to the veracity of the source. Can anyone comment? Oh, while I’m on my feet… This, from the San Francisco Chronicle… The Hearst paper, right? I suppose I’ll have to consider the source on this one, eh? [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/04/13/SPIES.TMP](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/04/13/SPIES.TMP) > [@](#): > > A Moscow-based organization was training Iraqi intelligence agents as recently as last September – at the same time Russia was resisting the Bush administration’s push for a tough stand against Saddam Hussein’s regime, Iraqi documents discovered by The Chronicle show. -Rav ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-paranoia-if-its-true-is-it-russia-iraq/168504/2 "2003-04-13T21:57:41Z")
Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean someone isn’t out to get you. [sub]Well _someone_ was gonna say it.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![skankweirdall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@skankweirdall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skankweirdall)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-paranoia-if-its-true-is-it-russia-iraq/168504/3 "2003-04-14T00:45:53Z")
I think it’s a pretty well known fact that Russia was providing equipment for Iraq’s war machine for many years. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-paranoia-if-its-true-is-it-russia-iraq/168504/4 "2003-04-14T01:14:33Z")
If true, we would do well to remember this the next time the russians murder a theatre full of people in their own war on terrorism. I can respect the German opposition to this war, it’s fairly consisitant with their general views. I can even understand the french position, in wanting to check US domination of international affairs. But if it turns out that Russia’s opposition really was a total CYA affair, I see little reason to cut them any slack in the future.