|
|
|
[NOTE: The world just ain't
the same without the Cold War! It is missed most among the hard-core right-wing
flying monkeys in the U.S. Congress and the military-industrial complex.
So much so that some Republicans --most notably Ben Gilman (NY)-- have
long been attempting to ferret out "Russian involvement" in Colombia. This
came out in an comic way last year, when during Congressional hearings,
Gilman turned to "Saint" Gen. Serrano of the Colombian National Police
and asked him to explain what role the Russkies are playing in Colombia's
civil war. Taken by surprise, the General stumbled for words and after
a few seconds of fumbling uttered something to the effect that the Russians
are involved because they have sold helicopters and other military supplies
to the Colombian military. Touche!:-) -DG]
"Moscow regards the report as another attempt of some forces to disrupt
the peaceful settlement process in Colombia...."
ITAR-TASS [Russia]
Thursday, 14 October 1999
Russian FM refutes rumours on Russian plane in Colombia
MOSCOW -- The Russian Foreign Ministry has refuted rumours
about an incident in Colombia with a plane of Russian make, which allegedly
took place in September this year.
A Foreign Ministry report, received by Tass on Thursday, says the Foreign
Ministry does not rule out a possibility that the rumour was spread on
a special order, because they appeared exactly at the time when intensive
talks were going on about the delivery of a consignment of Russian helicopters
to Colombia.
According to the information of the Russian Foreign Ministry, a report
was circulated recently by Western news agencies, which said that a plane
of Russian make had allegedly flown from the area of the Caucasus across
a number of Arab countries and, when flying over Colombia, had dropped
a batch of armaments for Colombian guerrillas.
"Moscow regards the report as another attempt of some forces to disrupt
the peaceful settlement process in Colombia. We fully support the statement
made by Colombian President Andres Pastrana, who resolutely rejected those
allegations of the Western mass media, and stressed that such inventions
jeopardize the holding of peaceful talks with the rebels," the report of
the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
It added that "this falsehood cast shadow on the successfully developing
Russian-Colombian relations. " "Russia voices again its readiness to further
support the government of Andres Pastrana, together with other members
of the world community, in its efforts aimed at achieving a genuine political
settlement in Colombia. Naturally, this is going to be done with full respect
for the basic principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of
a sovereign country," the report said.
|
