Belarus crisis

The News International ^ | Saturday January 07, 2006

[lizol]

Belarus crisis

BIALYSTOK, Poland: Belarus will be rocked by mass street protests if long-time President Alexander Lukashenko cheats in March’s presidential election, the main opposition candidate said during a visit to Poland on Friday.

"Our aim is not to stage a revolution but if the law is flouted during the vote we will take to the streets," Alexander Milinkevich told reporters in this north-eastern Polish city after meeting Polish Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz. But, he warned, Lukashenko could use force to put down any protests. "We can’t rule out that Lukashenko will call in the army," said the opposition leader.

"Sure, I’m frightened. Any human being would be. But in a situation in which the future of my country is at stake, I fight fear." Milinkevich, a 58-year-old physicist and rights activist chosen by a conference of Belarussian opposition parties to stand against Lukashenko, said last month he was ready to lead a peaceful revolution, like the "orange revolution" in neighbouring Ukraine, if Lukashenko’s regime cheats in the election.

[lizol]

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[Thermalseeker]

"We can’t rule out that Lukashenko will call in the army,"

Did/does Belarus still have Soviet era nukes? The last thing we need now is another unstable regime with nuclear materials.......

[AdmSmith]

No, there are no nukes in Belarus.

[Cheburashka]

Did/does Belarus still have Soviet era nukes? The last thing we need now is another unstable regime with nuclear materials.......
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All the other former Soviet Republics agreed to give any nuclear weapons stationed on their soil when the Soviet Union collapsed to the Russian Federation. So Belarus has no nuclear weapons.

[Cheburashka]

I hope the Belarusians get rid of this Stalinist bastard and finally join the rest of Europe. It's the last dictatorship on the continent.
Unfortunately he has survived for so long, I have to consider the chances of his overthrow to be poor. Please, all Belarusians, prove me wrong in my pessimism!

[Sender]

The only 'nukes' in Belarus are in the mushrooms. And in the zubr. And in the zaichik...

[Thermalseeker]

All the other former Soviet Republics agreed to give any nuclear weapons stationed on their soil when the Soviet Union collapsed to the Russian Federation. So Belarus has no nuclear weapons.

Has this been verified by US officials or are we taking their word for it?