DATE=12/18/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-243226 TITLE=RUSSIA / IRAQ (L UPDATE) BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: RUSSIA HAS RECALLED ITS AMBASSADORS TO THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN TO UNDERSCORE ITS OUTRAGE AT THE MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ. V-O-A MOSCOW CORRESPONDENT PETER HEINLEIN REPORTS OPPOSITION TO THE AIR STRIKES HAS UNITED POLITICIANS FROM ACROSS RUSSIA'S POLITICAL SPECTRUM. TEXT: A RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN CONFIRMS AMBASSADOR YULI VORONTSOV IS BEING CALLED HOME FROM WASHINGTON, AND AMBASSADOR YURI FOKIN IS BEING RECALLED FROM LONDON. THE SPOKESMAN HAD NO FURTHER DETAILS. IT IS THE FIRST TIME MOSCOW HAS RECALLED ITS AMBASSADORS FROM THE TWO CAPITALS SINCE BEFORE THE FALL OF THE SOVIET UNION. RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER YEVGENY PRIMAKOV IS REPORTED TO HAVE PERSONALLY INFORMED U-S VICE-PRESIDENT AL GORE OF AMBASSADOR VORONTSOV'S RECALL DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION. DEFENSE AND FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALS FRIDAY CONFIRMED THAT SEVERAL RUSSIAN AIR FORCE AND NAVY UNITS HAVE BEEN PLACED ON A HIGHER ALERT STATUS. DEFENSE MINISTER IGOR SERGEYEV WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THE STRIKES AGAINST IRAQ ARE FORCING MOSCOW TO RETHINK ITS SECURITY STRATEGY. A DAY EARLIER, PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN AND PRIME MINISTER PRIMAKOV BOTH ISSUED STATEMENTS CONDEMNING THE U-S AND BRITISH ATTACKS IN UNUSUALLY HARSH LANGUAGE. MR. PRIMAKOV ACCUSED CHIEF U-N WEAPONS INSPECTOR RICHARD BUTLER OF ABUSING HIS AUTHORITY, AND DEMANDED HIS REMOVAL. THE AIR STRIKES ON IRAQ HAVE UNITED RUSSIA'S FRACTIOUS POLITICIANS LIKE ALMOST NO OTHER EVENT SINCE THE SOVIET SYSTEM COLLAPSED. LAWMAKERS THURSDAY TRIED TO OUTDO EACH OTHER IN EXPRESSING THEIR FURY AT THE MILITARY ACTION. COMMUNISTS, THE LARGEST FACTION IN THE LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT, SAY THEY WILL POSTPONE CONSIDERATION OF THE 1993 START-TWO ARMS CONTROL TREATY. INSTEAD, LAWMAKERS OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED A HARSHLY WORDED RESOLUTION CALLING THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN "INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS". SEVERAL LAWMAKERS SUGGESTED RUSSIA SHOULD UNILATERALLY DROP SANCTIONS AGAINST THE BAGHDAD GOVERNMENT. NEWSPAPERS AND ANALYSTS HERE SUGGEST THE STRENGTH OF RUSSIA'S REACTION IS DUE IN PART TO ITS FRUSTRATION AT THE FAILURE OF ITS DIPLOMACY TO PREVENT THE AIR STRIKES. MOSCOW HAS CONSISTENTLY OPPOSED THE USE OF FORCE AGAINST ITS TRADITIONAL ALLY IRAQ. ONE ANALYST WAS QUOTED AS SAYING RUSSIA RESENTS THE LOSS OF ITS SUPERPOWER STATUS. HE SAID THERE IS A WIDESPREAD FEELING IN OFFICIAL CIRCLES THAT THE AIR ATTACKS ON IRAQ WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF THE SOVIET UNION STILL EXISTED. /// REST OPT /// U-S AMBASSADOR TO MOSCOW JAMES COLLINS ABRUPTLY FLEW HOME TO THE UNITED STATES FRIDAY, BUT AN EMBASSY SPOKESMAN SAID THE DEPARTURE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IRAQ. THE OFFICIAL SAID THE AMBASSADOR HAD SCHEDULED CHRISTMAS LEAVE FOR LATER IN THE MONTH, BUT MOVED UP HIS DATE OF DEPARTURE BECAUSE OF ILLNESS IN HIS FAMILY. THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR IN MOSCOW, ANDREW WOOD, WAS QUOTED AS SAYING IT IS NOT LIKELY HE WOULD BE RECALLED TO LONDON. HE TOLD A REPORTER IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN. (SIGNED) NEB/PFH/PLM 18-Dec-98 5:02 AM EST (1002 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
