Russia to allies: do not join U.S.military action

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Russia to allies: do not join U.S.military action

By Vladimir Radyuhin

 

MOSCOW, SEPT. 19. Russia will not take part in any U.S. strikes

against terrorists in Afghanistan and has strongly advised its allies

in Central Asia to refrain from opening up their territory for

American forces.

 

``Russia has not participated and has no plans to participate in U.S.

military actions,'' the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Russia's armed

forces chief of staff, Gen. Anatoly Kvashnin, as saying in

Tajikistan, where he is discussing the situation with the country's

political and military leadership.

 

Following talks with another Russian envoy, Uzbekistan backed off

from its earlier promise to let the U.S. use its military bases for

strikes against Osama bin Laden's hideouts in Afghanistan.

 

Moscow has expressed full solidarity with the U.S. in its fight

against terrorism, but fears that large-scale U.S. military

operations in Afghanistan could provoke an Islamic backlash in Russia

and in Central Asia. Russia is also concerned over possible rifts in

the Commonwealth of Independent States on the issue of whether to

join U.S. strikes. Moscow favours broad- based international effort

to eradicate terrorism. The Russian Parliament on Wednesday

unanimously approved a resolution calling for the establishment of an

international anti-terrorist centre.

 

Blair adopts caution

 

Hasan Suroor reports from London:

 

Some of the belligerent rhetoric from Washington is beginning to

embarrass Britain and in its first show of irritation, Downing Street

has been quick to distance itself from the U.S. President, Mr. George

W. Bush's call that he wants Osama bin Laden ``dead or alive''. The

British media today highlighted the Government's bid to dissociate

itself from Mr. Bush's remark which, commentators said, appeared to

suggest a policy of assassination.

 

The Prime Minister, Mr. Tony Blair's official spokesman was quoted as

saying that the search for terrorists behind the September 11 carnage

in America would be conducted ``within the rule of law''. Indicating

that the British Government did not share Mr. Bush's choice of words,

he said:``The President will express his own views in his own

language. The Prime Minister and the President continue to discuss

these matters in a calm and measured way.''