[R-G] Zyuganov denounces Putin

[Barry Stoller]

AFP. 9 November 2001. Russian Communist leader denounces Putin for US
alliance.

MOSCOW -- Russian Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov on Friday attacked
President Vladimir Putin for his new alliance with the United States
over the US-led military campaign in Afghanistan, news agencies
reported.

In an open letter to Putin ahead of next week's summit between the US
and Russian presidents in the United States, Zyuganov said that Russia
was betraying its national interests.

"It is blindly following US policy which has been characterized recently
by open aggression," the Communist party chief said cited by the
ITAR-TASS news agency.

"Russia's position on the Afghan tragedy is alienating us from the
Muslim world, which is increasingly more influential politically and
economically," he added in the letter.

Zyuganov criticized Putin for his decision last month to close a Cuban
listening post that eavesdropped on US communications and a key naval
base in Vietnam, as well as Russian support for Washington using bases
in former Soviet Uzbekistan and Tajikistan for its Afghan strikes.

He also charged that Moscow was ready to "weaken its strategic position"
by striking a deal that will allow Washington to test its planned
defence missile shield.

"Russia's national state and national interests may be betrayed" at the
upcoming summit between Putin and US President George W. Bush, Zyuganov
warned.

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Barry Stoller
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProletarianNews
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