The former Soviet republics now grouped with Russia in the Commonwealth of Independent States should not join in US-led military action against Afghanistan, the head of Russian intelligence services (FSB, ex-KGB) Nikolai Patrushev said Tuesday.
The 12 CIS member states "should not take part in military actions against Afghanistan but join in the global fight against terrorism," the FSB chief said after a meeting with Tajikistan President Imomali Rakhmonov.
Patrushev earlier attended a meeting in Dushanbe of heads of security and intelligence services of CIS member states devoted largely to the fight against terrorism in the light of the September 11 attacks on Washington and New York.
Russian President Vladimir Putin last week offered unprecedented support for the US operation in Afghanistan whose ruling Taliban have refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, the Saudi dissident who is the prime suspect in the investigation into the attacks.
He offered cooperation in humanitarian and possible search-and-rescue missions but implicitly ruled out Russian troops joining in military action against the Taliban.
He moreover approved proposals by the former Soviet Central Asian states bordering Afghanistan -- Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan -- to offer Washington the use of their air space and airbases if they wished to do so -- DUSHANBE (AFP)
