RUSSIAN AIR FORCE FACES CRISIS.

The Russian air force is unable to fulfill its assigned tasks, according to its commander-in-chief, Army Gen. Petr Deinekin. He said that more than one-half of the force’s aircraft were obsolete and that pilots could not fly training missions because there was no fuel. Deinekin also complained that most of his pilots had not been paid in months, and that their wages were "miserable" to begin with. (NTV, January 20)

Top U.S. Diplomat to Moscow.