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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.politics
Date:         Wed, 22 Jul 1992 01:58:00 CST
From:         "VALENTINE M. SMITH" <CDELL@UMKCVAX1.BITNET>
Subject:      Russia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and ..., (#742)
Comments: To: val-l@ucf1vm.BITNET, jwales@iubvm.BITNET, olsenj@stolaf.edu,
              shlyakhter@huhepl.harvard.edu, kousen@rayleigh.res.utc.com,
              christic@igc.org, 76701.103@compuserve.com,
              politics@ucf1vm.BITNET

Russia-

NPR reported on the 21st that Yeltsin had met with 200 "top military
officers," and castigated them, and the army, for "corruption, abuse
of power, and the selling of weapons illegally." He demanded that the
miltary "put its house in order."

Also reported by NPR was that an agreement for a truce in the
Moldovan fighting was agreed upon by President Yeltsin of Russia and
President Snegur of Moldova. Reportedly, part of the agreement
stipulated that would-be secessionists (Russians) would be allowed to
do so, and could eventually form their own state. The report went on
to say that the Russians pledged that their army in the area would be
"neutral."

RFE/RL reported on 21 July that the rumors about a special ministry
for "CIS affairs" may be formed are more pronounced, and that Sergei
Stankevich, currently an advisor to Yeltsin and once deputy Mayor of
Moscow, may be named the head of such a ministry. Stankevich
reportedly disputed rumors that Foreign Minister Kozyrev might soon
be dismissed and that he might replace him.

Azerbaijan-

RFE/RL also reported heavy fighting in the enclave of
Nagorno-Karabakh, still, again, and with 90 dead in the latest day's
fighting. This area's fighting with Armenia, now in control of the
enclave and reported to be arming heavily the Armenians holding the
enclave against the Azeri, is what started me writing this series
thirty months ago. It is staggering, and sad, that the fighting has
been almost continuous in that two and a half year span, and that it
still rages on. (There would be some that might say the same about
this series, but such is their perogative).

Bosnia-

Ferocious fighting is occurring throughout the country, with some of
the most terrible fighting happening in Sarajevo, where NPR reported
the suburb of Dobrinja (?) taking mortar fire at the rate of 20
shells a minute earlier today. Lord Carrington, the EC negotiator,
blames the Moslems for this latest ceasefire breakdown, which did not
last two hours, while the Bosnian President again blamed the Serbs
for the truce-breaking. Goradze and Mostar remain under siege, with
no current prospects of relief. "Ethinic cleansing" by the Serbs
continues, with erratic policies now emanating from Europe about the
over 1 million refugees plus from Bosnia, with Italy and Germany
reported over the weekend as relenting somewhat on their former
demands for visas from the fleeing Bosnians.


Many problems lay under the surface of the seemingly semi-stable
Russia, and even more so for the rest of the "CIS." Unemployment is
on the rise in Russia, arm sales are down, Izvestia battles now in
the highest court in the land for the right to print, and the
military is accused of big time corruption. Other parts of the "CIS"
and Europe also struggle for peace and stability, currently in vain.
What do you make of this tangled picture? VMS
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