Secretary of State Colin L. Powell warned Russia yesterday that broad new anti-terrorism moves announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin could harm the country's still-struggling democracy. Mr. Powell and Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage criticized Mr. Putin's plan to fight terror by centralizing political power. Mr. Powell said it marked a "pulling back on some of the democratic reforms" in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. "You have to find a balance between fighting terrorism in an aggressive way and also making sure that we don't undercut the institutions of state that are based on the foundation of democracy," Mr. Powell told Reuters news agency.
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