Russia's Defence Minister: No Russian Troops In Afghanistan
Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov denied Pakistan's media reports that Russia was going to send its troops to Afghanistan, RIA Novosti news agency reported. "May be Pakistanis would have liked to see it, but it'll never happen", Ivanov stressed.
The statement represents a reaction on Duma's official request to the government about sending troops to Afghanistan.
The Minister also added that Russian military jets did not bomb the Kondor Gorge in Georgia's breakaway province of Abkhazia.
It was reported earlier by Press-centre.ru news agency that Russia's military general headquarters was considering sending Russian ground troops to Afghanistan to assist Tajik troops of the Northern Alliance.
But the Defence Minister stated more than once that participation of Russian military forces in Afghanistan would be impossible. Even Russian military instructors will not be involved in the Afghan campaign to train Northern Alliance fighters to handle military equipment, Ivanov added that time. Ivanov also stressed that it would be a mistake for outside powers to try to install a government in Afghanistan.
The former Soviet Union fought a decade-long war with Afghanistan and all efforts to keep pro-Soviet Afghan governments in power just failed.
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