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| Afghanistan |
| Russian troops in Afghanistan? |
| 2001-10-11 |
RUSSIAN troops and technical experts, wearing camouflage but no identifying badges, have secretly entered Afghanistan and are waiting with the anti-Taleban Northern Alliance for orders to attack Kabul, according to a prominent Moscow military analyst. âTwo weeks ago . . . Russia effectively went to war on foreign territory without the parliamentary approval demanded by the Constitution,â Pavel Felgengauer wrote in the weekly Moscow News. Mr Felgengauer, a usually authoritative commentator, said that the strength of the Russian 201st motor-rifle division stationed in Tajikistan, on the border with Afghanistan, had been increased from 7,500 to more than 8,000 men. Quoting informed military sources, he said anti-aircraft and artillery units from the division had penetrated Afghanistan. Mr Felgengauer also quoted Alexei Arbatov, of Russiaâs parliamentary defence committee, as saying that Russian technical experts were being sent into Afghanistan with the latest supplies of tanks for the Northern Alliance. He said Mr Arbatov was worried that US attacks on the Taleban might not last long, leaving those Russians âface-to-face with a new enemyâ. I'd put this one down as a "doubtful." |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |