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Russia comes in from the cold
 
Further evidence of President Putin's determination to both rebuild the Russian Armed Forces along slimmer,professional and more westernized lines and even more importantly, to re-position the Kremlin's foreign policy has surfaced in the last few weeks.  The removal of large numbers of Naval officers from the Northern Fleet considered to be firmly against the new policy followed similar actions in the Far East and within the Intelligence community.
 
Putins support for the co-alition in Afghanistan was naturally driven by Russia's long-term ambitions in Kabul. Russian arms, technical assistance and personnel played the major role in General Dostum and his Northern Alliance allies success against the Taliban.   Russian troops and the Intelligence apparatus are now back in Kabul where they will continue to influence the development of the new regime. Putin obtained a guarantee of non-interference in Russian affairs particularly in Chechnya and acceptance of the primacy of Russian interest in much of the old Soviet Central Asia.
 
Putin repositions foreign policy on Middle East
 
Russia is now moving slowly to re-position its stance on the Middle East with a softer line on Israel's response to recent suicide bombings. Putin has quietly revamped Russian foreign policy in this traditional area of influence, finally accepting that the Kremlin's long-term support for the Arab cause has proved a failure at best and a disaster at worst. Putin is thought to believe that the Muslim nations are fatally fractured along sectarian lines and will indeed be picked off one by one if the United States perseveres with the War on Terrorism. There is little chance of the Arabs standing together against an external threat and even over Israel only bluster and bravado emanates from the Arab capitals while the Palestinian cause is set back a further generation or so.
 
Putin, the former KGB officer, modernizer and pragmatist intends to place Russia firmly in the front rank of influence and in a position to benefit hugely if the new hard-line policies of the United States alienate much of the third world and frighten European leaders into promoting a serious new Pan-European security relationship between NATO and a rejuvenated Russia.
 
Putin is an ambitious and clever leader and overall the Russian President has had a very good war so far. ......the Whitehouse would be well advised to watch its back in future.
 
Richard M. Bennett
 
 

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