DATE=12/17/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-243170
TITLE=RUSSIA / IRAQ (L-UPDATE) 
   BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 


INTRO:   RUSSIA HAS CONDEMNED THE AIRSTRIKES ON IRAQ AND CALLED  
FOR AN IMMEDIATE HALT TO THE MILITARY ACTION.  V-O-A'S PETER 
HEINLEIN IN MOSCOW REPORTS THE U-S AND BRITISH ATTACK HAS DIMMED 
HOPES FOR RUSSIAN APPROVAL OF THE LONG-DELAYED "START-TWO" ARMS 
TREATY.

TEXT:  PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN ISSUED A STATEMENT DENOUNCING THE 
STRIKES AS "UNPROVOKED" AND A "FLAGRANT VIOLATION OF THE UNITED 
NATIONS CHARTER."  HE SAID THE ACTION "EVOKES THE MOST SERIOUS 
CONCERN, AS WELL AS A FEELING OF DISMAY AND ALARM."

THE RUSSIAN LEADER ARRIVED AT THE KREMLIN EARLY IN THE DAY AFTER 
WHAT HE SAID WAS A SLEEPLESS NIGHT MONITORING DEVELOPMENTS ON 
IRAQ. 

          ///YELTSIN ACT IN RUSSIAN, THEN FADE TO...///

HE SAYS, "ALL NIGHT WE WORKED INTENSIVELY WITH HEADS OF STATE AND
OUR MINISTERS. THIS SITUATION IS UNACCEPTABLE."

AMONG THE LEADERS MR. YELTSIN WAS SAID TO HAVE SPOKEN WITH BY  
TELEPHONE WERE CHINESE PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN AND FRENCH  
PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC.  BUT RUSSIAN NEWS AGENCIES QUOTED AN  
AIDE AS SAYING MR. YELTSIN SEES  NO  REASON TO CALL PRESIDENT 
CLINTON.

U-S AMBASSADOR TO MOSCOW JAMES COLLINS WENT TO RUSSIA'S FOREIGN 
MINISTRY THURSDAY, WHERE HE MET DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER GEORGY 
MAMEDOV. AN EMBASSY SPOKESMAN REFUSED COMMENT ON THE MEETING, BUT
A MINISTRY STATEMENT SAID THE AMBASSADOR HEARD A "DECISIVE 
PROTEST."

THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR WAS SAID TO HAVE RECEIVED A SIMILAR 
PROTEST.

SENIOR KREMLIN OFFICIALS AND LAWMAKERS THURSDAY SAID THE 
AIRSTRIKES DESTROYED CHANCES FOR EARLY RATIFICATION OF THE 
"START-TWO" ARMS CONTROL TREATY. //OPT// COMMUNIST PARTY CHIEF 
GENNADY ZYUGANOV SAID AN EXPECTED VOTE IN THE DUMA, OR LOWER 
HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT, ON THE ACCORD LATER THIS MONTH WOULD  NOT  
TAKE PLACE.

         ///ZYUGANOV ACT IN RUSSIAN, THEN FADE TO...///

HE SAYS "CONSIDERING START-TWO IN THIS SITUATION IS POINTLESS." 
//END OPT//

LATE THURSDAY, THE DUMA OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED A NON-BINDING 
RESOLUTION CALLING THE AIRSTRIKES "INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM," AND 
CALLING FOR INCREASED SPENDING ON RUSSIA'S STRUGGLING ARMED 
FORCES. 

///OPT///  THE VOTE WAS 394 IN FAVOR, WITH ONLY ONE AGAINST.

THE NEAR-UNANIMOUS EXPRESSIONS OF OUTRAGE FROM MOSCOW INDICATE 
FRUSTRATION OVER THE INABILITY OF RUSSIAN DIPLOMACY TO PREVENT 
THE USE OF FORCE AGAINST IRAQ. SEVERAL LEADERS SUGGESTED THE U-S 
AND BRITISH ATTACKS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IF BAGHDAD'S OLD 
ALLY, THE SOVIET UNION, STILL EXISTED.

RUSSIA'S MOST EXPERIENCED DIPLOMAT, PRIME MINISTER YEVGENY 
PRIMAKOV, ACCUSED CHIEF U-N WEAPONS INSPECTOR RICHARD BUTLER OF 
THWARTING MOSCOW'S EFFORTS TO BROKER A DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION.

         ///PRIMAKOV ACT IN RUSSIAN, THEN FADE TO...///

HE SAYS, "AS FOR BUTLER, HE PLAYED  NOT  THE BEST ROLE IN THE 
STORY."  MR. PRIMAKOV SAYS THE CHIEF WEAPONS INSPECTOR ASSURED 
RUSSIAN OFFICIALS DURING A VISIT TO MOSCOW THIS MONTH HIS 
COMMISSION WAS WORKING WELL, THEN SUDDENLY PULLED HIS PEOPLE OUT 
OF IRAQ JUST BEFORE THE AIRSTRIKES BEGAN.  

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV CALLED FOR MR. BUTLER'S  
OUTRIGHT DISMISSAL, SAYING HE HAD "GROSSLY EXCEEDED HIS 
AUTHORITY" IN PULLING HIS INSPECTORS OUT OF IRAQ. ///END OPT//

RUSSIA HAS CONSISTENTLY OPPOSED MILITARY ACTION AGAINST BAGHDAD, 
FOR BOTH ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL REASONS. THE SADDAM HUSSEIN 
GOVERNMENT OWES MOSCOW BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT CANNOT BE REPAID 
UNTIL INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS ARE LIFTED. (SIGNED)

NEB/PFH/PCF

17-Dec-98 11:32 AM EST (1632 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.