Russia fights for clout in Afghanistan

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, SEPT. 25. Russia has plunged headlong into the unfolding struggle for influence in Afghanistan and Central Asia, openly pledging massive military aid to the anti-Taliban coalition.

``We are expanding cooperation with the international recognised Government of Mr. (Burhanuddin) Rabbani and providing additional assistance to it by supplying weapons and military hardware,'' the Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, said in a televised address to the nation on Monday.

So far, Russia has consistently denied giving military aid to the Northern Alliance and kept a low profile, fearing an extremist spillover from the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan into the former Soviet Central Asia. Now that the U.S. is about to strike at terrorist bases in Afghanistan and is deploying its forces in the ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia, Russia has decided it is time to act decisively.

Apart from military aid to the Northern Alliance, Mr. Putin has vowed to actively cooperate with U.S.-led international anti- terrorism efforts by sharing intelligence on the infrastructure of international terrorist groups and their bases, opening up Russian air space to relief supplies, and taking part in international search and rescue missions.

However, Russia is clearly playing its own game in Central Asia. While Washington says it has no plans to topple the Taliban regime, Moscow wants precisely that and has set up a coalition with India and Iran to install a friendly government in Kabul.

``It is no more a secret that for many years now Russia, India and Iran have been giving military aid to the Government of Mr. Burhanuddin Rabbani opposing the Taliban,'' said Russia's Defence Minister, Mr. Sergei Ivanov, who is in charge of co-ordinating the anti-terrorist operation with Washington. He told presspersons today that Moscow had already received a request from the new military head of the Northern Alliance, Gen. Mohammad Fakhim, for ``massive military-technical and humanitarian assistance''. The Russian defence chief confirmed that Russia had decided to step up supply of heavy arms and weapons to the anti-Taliban forces.

The Deputy Defence Minister in the Rabbani Government, Mr. Atikulla Barielai, told two Russian newspapers on Tuesday that ``foreign troops can only enter Afghanistan under a U.N., not the U.S., flag''.

``Afghans have never put up with foreign diktat and will not tolerate any in the future,'' Mr. Barielai said. The anti-Taliban coalition ``regards Russia as its good friend and hopes it will not turn down our requests,'' the Afghan commander said.

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Section  : International
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