- Moscow (IANS) - Alarmed by the unprecedented U.S. forces
build-up even as the military phase of the global anti-terrorism operation
in Afghanistan comes to an end, Russia has said it is opposed to U.S. or
NATO bases in that country.
Russian Parliament speaker Gennady Seleznev, currently on an official visit
to Kazakhstan, said in Almaty that Russia is "opposed to any U.S.
or NATO military base in Afghanistan."
He also spoke against the continuation of U.S. bombing in Afghanistan.
Russia, a member of the U.S.-led global anti-terror coalition, had expressed
unequivocal support to the military operation against the Taliban and Al
Qaida in Afghanistan.
It remained a silent spectator all these months over the U.S. military
build-up in Afghanistan, nursing a hope that American troops would pull
out from the region once the military phase is complete.
This is the first time in the three months since the U.S. embarked on its
retaliatory strikes in Afghanistan that a high-ranking Russian leader has
publicly expressed opposition to American military build-up in the region.
Russian defence ministry newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda in an article criticised
the inexorable growth of U.S. military presence in Afghanistan even as
war is winding down.
Russian security expert Nikolai Leonov said Moscow is opposing NATO's eastward
expansion, but now the organisation is coming towards the country's borders
from the east.
"A U.S. military base in Afghanistan is a direct threat to the security
of Russia and China. It would upset strategic stability in the region,"
he said.
"And that is the reason why the foreign ministers of Shanghai Cooperation
Organisation hurriedly convened their extraordinary meeting at Beijing
to take stock of things in central Asia and asked to end outside interference
in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.
"History has demonstrated time and again how outside interference
has messed up things in Afghanistan, and U.S. should take note of that
lesson."
"The U.S. has the intention to keep its forces there for a long time,
if not for ever, in order to ensure security for gas and oil pipelines
from central Asia to the Arabian sea, which is extremely vital for its
strategic interest.
He said the U.S. or NATO troops would stay in Afghanistan in the name of
anti-terrorist operation for a long time.
U.S. officials have reportedly said they would remain in Afghanistan as
long as necessary, and the anti-terrorist operation may prolong there for
years.
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