Pentagon: Russia Gave Saddam U.S. Intel

[Judi Lynn]

Pentagon: Russia Gave Saddam U.S. Intel
By ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

Friday, March 24, 2006

(03-24) 10:13 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --

The Russian government provided Saddam Hussein with intelligence on U.S. military movements and plans during the opening days of the war in 2003, according to a Pentagon report released 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 U.S. 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 U.S. commanders were trying to create to catch the Iraqis by surprise.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/03/24/national/w101300S99.DTL