PRIMAKOV REASSURES ISRAELIS.

Russian foreign minister Yevgeny Primakov, in the midst of a high-profile trip to the Middle East, assured Israelis yesterday that Syria is not preparing a military strike against them. Primakov visited Damascus earlier this week. Primakov, who has long placed the blame for the stalled Middle East peace process on Israel, also said that Moscow would not support Syria — or "any party that uses force" — in the event that it launches a strike on Israel. (Reuter, October 31)

Call for a Bigger Russian Peacekeeping Force in the Balkans.