YELTSIN REPORTEDLY AGONIZING OVER LEBED’S FATE.

Boris Yeltsin has not decided what to do about the resignation of Lt. Gen. Aleksandr Lebed, the commander of the 14th Russian Army in Moldova’s Transdniestr region, Segodnya reported June 7. Allowing Lebed to retire could destabilize the situation there and allow Lebed to enter the political fray against Yeltsin himself. Failing to allow him to go, on the other hand, would further undermine the Russian chain of command: Lebed has frequently refused to follow orders and has been openly contemptuous of Russian defense minister Pavel Grachev. Meanwhile, Moldovan officials publicly praised the general who, they said, had brought stability to the region, Basapress said.

International Community Neglecting Refugees in the Caucasus.