RUSSIA MUST NOT GET INVOLVED IN FIGHT AGAINST TALIBAN – MP
RIA Novosti
16:41 | 30/ 01/ 2009
MOSCOW, January 30 (RIA Novosti) – Russia should avoid getting involved
in the fight between the Afghan government and Taliban militants,
but strengthen its influence with its neighbors in Central Asia,
a member of parliament said on Friday.
Despite the recent deterioration in relations with NATO, Russia has
continued to support the military alliance’s operations in Afghanistan,
and has expressed its concerns with NATO over the worsening security
situation in the country.
"It is imperative for Russia to avoid interfering as much as possible
in the situation in Afghanistan," said Semyon Bagdasarov, member of
the committee on foreign affairs in the lower house of the Russian
parliament, in contrast with Moscow’s official stance on Afghanistan.
The parliamentarian said Russia should be concerned by NATO’s military
buildup in the region, rather than by an apparent increase in the
activities of the Taliban.
"Demonization of the Taliban plays into the American hand. Under the
guise of the fight against terrorism, the Americans and their allies
have increased their presence not only in Afghanistan, but also in
Central Asia as a whole," Bagdasarov said.
NATO currently deploys a 62,000-troop contingent in Afghanistan and
the U.S.
is planning to bring in up to 30,000 reinforcements in the near future.
"The U.S. is literally encircling Russia, considering that the
Americans have bases in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and an airfield
in Kazakhstan where they are allowed to land their aircraft," the
MP added.
He called the presence of NATO troops in the countries, which are
members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO),
"an absurd situation."
The CSTO is a security grouping comprising the former Soviet republics
of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan,
and Tajikistan.
CSTO members use the organization as a platform to fight terrorism
and organized crime, and have pledged to provide immediate military
assistance to one another in the event of an attack.
The bloc has already agreed to deploy a 5,000-troop Collective
Rapid Reaction Force in Central Asia, and is continuing to build
up its military forces, which some experts view as an attempt to
counter-balance NATO’s further eastward expansion.
Bagdasarov believes that the current situation reflects
"poorly-conceived Russian policies in the region," and Russia must
focus on "forcing U.S.
bases out of Central Asia by turning the CSTO into a real political
force that serves its purpose."
"The CSTO members must adopt an agreement establishing Russia as
a security guarantor for member-states in case of a crisis on the
border with Afghanistan," he said.
"I would assume that such a move would be welcomed by the majority
of CSTO members," the parliamentarian concluded.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
