“MORE THAN JUST AN IRRITANT”.

In an address entitled “U.S.-Russian Relations in the Post-Post-Cold War World,” delivered on June 1 to the RAND Business Leaders’ Forum held at the Mark Hotel in New York City, Ambassador Richard N. Haas, director of the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, observed concerning the present conflict in Chechnya: “Chechnya is more than just an irritant in the bilateral relationship. Russian tactics there, particularly against civilians, have profoundly damaged Russia’s international reputation. We recognize Russia’s right to maintain its territorial integrity and respond to terrorism. But it is clear to most observers that, as is true with other ethnic and societal conflicts, the solution must have a political as well as a security dimension. This is meant to be constructive criticism. The United States is prepared to help Russia think through how to resolve this undeniably difficult problem, if that would be welcome” (www.state.gov, June 3).