| Moscow, March 25, 2003. (RIA Novosti)--Deputy Chairman
of the State Duma Defence Committee Alexei
Arbatov announced at a Moscow press conference that the war
in Iraq would probably complicate Russian-American relations.
In his opinion, the harder things become for the Americans in
Iraq, the more they will look for someone to blame, "including
from other states." The politician said that the United States
would demand the support of Russia and European countries, and
then when this was denied, would make accusations against other
states.
At the same time, he rejected claims that Russia and the USA
would revert to Cold War relations. In his opinion, the main difference
between the present and that era is that "official propaganda
was then anti-American, whereas the nation as a whole had a good
attitude towards the United States, just as now the situation
is the complete opposite: official propaganda is trying to play
down tension and not set people against the USA, but the population's
mood is extremely anti-American." Asked to provide a forecast
of developments, Arbatov suggested that the USA would sooner or
later turn to other states and the UN for help to resolve the
situation. The parliamentarian concluded that the friction and
contradictions could then disappear.
See also:
Situation
Around Iraq
|
