Afghanistan ground operation unavoidable: Russian experts
MOSCOW, Oct 8 (AFP) - Experts and lawmakers in Moscow Monday deemed a ground military operation in Afghanistan unavoidable if the US-led military strikes are to achieve anything, but Russia seemed determined not to get too involved.
The United States will have to "use special forces (on the ground) to capture and eliminate Taliban Leaders and (terrorist suspect) Osama bin Laden" since US missiles launched against Afghanistan "are only destroying strategically meaningless objectives probably long deserted by Taliban or terrorists," said former defense ministry senior official, General Leonid Ivashov.
Reformist deputy and head of the SPS party, Boris Nyemtsov, agreed, saying that the effectiveness of special forces on the ground would determine the outcome of the conflict.
"If they are effective, the Taliban regime may fall, but if not, the conflict will drag on," Nyemtsov said.
Whatever happens after the strikes, Russia may be willing to help the Afghan anti-Taliban opposition with humanitarian aid or even weapons, but not to take part in a ground military operation in Afghanistan.
Moscow voiced strong support for the US and British strikes against Afghanistan on Sunday as President Vladimir Putin huddled with his top defense and security advisers as the Russian capital stepped up security measures for fear of terrorist attacks.
The Russian foreign ministry supported the US-led strikes in a statement late Sunday, saying that "the time has come" to fight terrorism.
The Russian statement added that Moscow would continue providing humanitarian aid to "the internationally recognized Afghan government and its armed forces," referring to Afghanistan's anti-Taliban government in exile and the Northern Alliance armed resistance.
But there was no mention of possible direct Russian involvement.
"Afghans must settle their problems in their country, we should by no means try to do it instead of them," said Duma deputy speaker, Anatoly Lukin, on the Echo of Moscow radio station.
The Soviet Union suffered a humiliating defeat in the 1980s after it invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and its forces ultimately had to withdraw from the country in 1989, leaving thousands of dead behind them.
Moreover, Russia is already carrying out a military operation in the breakaway republic of Chehnya, which it has described as an "anti-terrorist operation" since it began two years ago.
And while Moscow has repeatedly sought to link Chechen separatists with international terrorism, including bin Laden -- whom Washington suspects of having masterminded the September 11 suicide attacks in the United States -- and his Taliban hosts, it has no plans for direct action against Kabul.
While Russia should "defend its national interests," it should by no means let itself be dragged into "adventurism," said the head of the Duma's foreign affairs committee, Dmitry Rogozine.
And Russian forces based in the Central Asian former Soviet Republic of Tajikistan will not take part in military operations against neighboring Afghanistan, an official with the general staff in Moscow said.
The task of the 8,000 man strong 201st division of the Russian army, which is based in Tajikistan, "is not to carry out military operations in Afghanistan," the official said.
In addition to the 201st division, 11,000 Russian border guards watch the Tajik-Afghan border under a 1992 agreement between Moscow and Dushanbe.