Russian defense minister declines to join U.S. against 'axis of evil'
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Radio Free Europe
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, February 4, 2002
MOSCOW Ñ Addressing the international
military-political forum "Wehrkunde" in Munich on 2 February, Russian Defense Minister Sergei
Ivanov said that Russia "does not share the U.S. point of view that
Iraq, Iran, and North Korea pose a terrorist threat to mankind," and
will neither support nor take part in any military operation against
them, ITAR-TASS reported.
U.S. President Bush accused those countries of
being an "axis of evil" supporting terrorism during his State of the
Union address on 29 January. However, Ivanov said that Russia "is very
concerned by the situation in the Pankisi Gorge in Georgia, where
Chechen fighters concentrate."
He said "the government of Georgia
recognizes the existence of a problem there, but hardly can cope with
it." Ivanov added that Russia, while it respects Georgia's sovereignty,
"cannot tolerate near her borders pocket of terrorism and criminality."
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