LEBED FEARS A “SECOND CHECHNYA.”

Lt. Gen. Aleksandr Lebed tolda Duma committee May 23 that disbanding the 14th Russian Armyin Moldova’s Transdniestr region could lead to a “secondChechnya,” Moscow radio reported. Lebed said that a hastywithdrawal of the forces he commands would allow terroristsfrom across the former Soviet Union to seize some of themassive supplies of arms in that area. Lebed noted that storedthere were some 49,500 guns, 805 artillery pieces, and 655vehicles, along with enormous quantities of ammunition. DeputyForeign Minister Sergey Krylov told the hearing that the 14thArmy must remain where it is for the time being and noted thatits withdrawal could take place only in connection with asettlement of the Transdniestr conflict–a position thatcontradicts the 1994 Moscow-Kishinev agreement. Lt. Gen.Aleksandr Sokolov, Lebed’s deputy, added that withdrawing thearmy now would cost 72 billion rubles. The Duma CIS committee’schairman, Konstantin Zatulin, called for an open-endedextension of the 14th Army’s presence in Moldova through a”peace-keeping” mandate.

Germany Cautions Moscow On CFE.