He didn't Fly to Baghdad to Drink Coffee

Follow up on the story of Russia tipping off Iraq on US plans before the war. Via Gateway Pundit, who finds some photos and stories in a Russian newspaper:

Iraqi Defence Minister Sultan Hashim Ahmed hands an award to Russian Igor Maltsev, rated as one of the best Russian experts in the sphere of operating air-defense systems. (Gazeta)

The newspaper Gazeta.ru reported back on April 2, 2003 about the awards ceremony attended by the Iraqi Defense Minister Sultan Hashim Ahmed in early March 2003:

As to why the two Soviet generals received the top military awards of the Iraqi Republic on the eve of war, Vladislav Achalov would not say. He did remark, however, that he "didn’t fly to Baghdad to drink coffee".

Russia looks guilty, guilty, guilty. There is also more on the mysterious convoy to Syria by high Russian officials as we were closing in on Baghdad. It still sticks in my mind the way Putin smirked and sneered in front of the press at Tony Blair about WMD, in Moscow after the war.