Posted on 10/28/2004 5:12:38 AM PDT by focusandclarity
"Primakov, as an Arabist and the principal architect of the Soviet alliance with Saddam Hussein, is likely to reinvigorate relations with old Soviet allies in the Middle East and Asia, especially Iraq, Syria, and India. Arms sales will be a major instrum ent of this effort. He may also favor the strengthening of relations with Iran, where, despite U.S. pressure, the Russians are going forward with plans to build nuclear reactors and are pursuing an apparently open-ended agreement on the deliveries of military hardware through 1999."
"Primakov gained notoriety in the United States when he journeyed to Baghdad as Gorbachev s personal envoy on at least three occasions immediately prior to the Gulf War in an effort to broker a face-saving way for Saddam to withdraw his troops from Kuwait and thus save his skin by preempting U.S. military action against Iraq. During this time, Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze was ostensibly cooperating with U.S. diplomatic measures against the Iraqi regime. After the war, Gorbachev sent Prima kov to Washington to negotiate a large Western aid package for the Soviet Union. Even whie seekingassistance, however, Primakov displayed his nationalist sentiments by declaring that "we re not going to turn our economy upside down just to please the Ame ricans."8 More recently, Primakov has nurtured Russia s relationship with Iraq by negotiating a sale of nuclear power plant components. His action may presage a Russian move in the UN Security Council to lift sanctions against Saddam s regime so that the sale can go forward."
(Excerpt) Read more at csis.org ...
Here is the best article on this link:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1259846/posts
Thanks for link, and for being on top of the turn of events!
The debate topic my senior year in High School (98-99) was on US foreign policy toward Russia. Primakov and his history was a huge issue at the time.
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