Posted on 09/18/2001 9:05:57 AM PDT by Jean S
MOSCOW -- A leading Russian legislator said on Tuesday he opposes letting the United States use bases in Central Asian countries in its war on terrorism because he fears the Americans may stay.
Moscow has long been concerned about the conflict in Afghanistan spilling north, into Central Asian countries bordering Russia. Those worries were heightened by last week's terrorist attacks in the United States, in which Afghanistan-based Islamic militant Osama bin Laden is a prime suspect.
But on Tuesday, the chairman of the parliament's foreign relations committee, Dmitry Rogozin, told U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow he opposes having strikes launched from the former Soviet republics.
"I told the ambassador bluntly that I would oppose letting the United States use bases in Central Asia because Americans may turn them into permanent residence," Rogozin was quoted as saying by the news agency Interfax.
But Vershbow, speaking at a memorial ceremony for attack victims at Spaso House, the ambassadorial residence, said "I'm convinced that the public solidarity we have seen in the past week will bring our two countries together on this challenge."
Senior officials from Kazakstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan said Tuesday they were open to cooperating with the United States in fighting terrorism.
Uzbekistan earlier this week was the first country in Central Asia to express its willingness help the United States. The Foreign Ministry said it was willing to discuss all forms of cooperation, including the deployment of U.S. forces.
Turkmenistan has offered support to the United States but has been noncommittal about assistance for staging strikes on Afghanistan.
A U.S. delegation led by Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage will hold consultations with Russian officials on combatting terrorism in two days of talks beginning Wednesday.
The talks are expected to focus on the potential threat of terrorism coming from groups based in Afghanistan.
The Russian group meeting with the U.S. delegation is to be led by First Deputy Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Trubnikov, the news agency ITAR-Tass reported.
The United States has launched an intense campaign for a global initiative against terrorism. Moscow has expressed hope that the devastating attacks will prompt greater cooperation in fighting international terrorism.
However, Russian officials have cautioned against hasty retaliation and said Moscow is unlikely to take part in any U.S. strikes against Afghanistan.
Russia, which has vehemently opposed expansion of the NATO alliance, also is nervous about the prospect of neighboring states allowing U.S. forces to launch strikes from their territory.
Copyright © 2001, The Associated Press
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