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DATE=8/13/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-237020
TITLE=RUSSIA/AFGHANISTAN  (L ONLY)
  BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO: RUSSIA IS ACCUSING PAKISTAN OF FOSTERING WHAT IT CALLS 
"ETHNIC CARNAGE" IN AFGHANISTAN BY PROVIDING DIRECT MILITARY 
ASSISTANCE TO THE TALEBAN.  VOA'S PETER HEINLEIN IN MOSCOW 
REPORTS PAKISTANI DIPLOMATS HAVE RIDICULED THE CHARGE.
TEXT:  DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER BORIS PASTUKHOV TOLD REPORTERS 
THURSDAY RUSSIA HAS EVIDENCE OF ACTIVE PAKISTANI INVOLVEMENT IN 
THE RECENT TALEBAN MILITARY SUCCESSES IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN.
         ///PASTUKHOV ACT IN RUSSIAN, THEN FADE TO...///
MR. PASTUKHOV SAID "WE HAVE NAMES AND NUMBERS OF PAKISTANI 
MILITARY UNITS THAT TOOK PART IN THE BATTLE FOR (THE NORTHERN 
CITY OF) MAZAR-E-SHARIF." HE ADDED, "THERE WAS EVEN A PAKISTANI 
GENERAL WOUNDED OR KILLED IN THE FIGHTING."
THE CHARGES ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE MADE EARLIER IN THE WEEK BY 
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN VALERY NESTERUSHKIN. BOTH 
OFFICIALS SUGGESTED THE KREMLIN MAY TAKE PREVENTIVE MEASURES TO 
ENSURE THE CONFLICT IN AFGHANISTAN DOES  NOT  SPILL OVER ONTO 
TERRITORY OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION.
IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, PAKISTANI EMBASSY SPOKESMAN IN MOSCOW, 
GHULAM HAZOOR BAJWA, STRONGLY DENIED THE RUSSIAN ALLEGATIONS. 
                         ///BAJWA ACT///
         THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN ARE WHOLLY 
         INTERNAL AND PAKISTAN HAS  NOTHING  TO DO WITH IT.
                          ///END ACT///
MR. BAJWA SAYS THERE IS  NO  NEED FOR DIRECT PAKISTANI MILITARY 
SUPPORT TO THE STRICT ISLAMIC TALEBAN.
                     ///SECOND BAJWA ACT///
         THEY KNOW HOW TO DRIVE PLANES, HOW TO DRIVE TANKS. SO 
         THE ALLEGATION PAKISTAN IS DOING THAT IS SIMPLY 
         RIDICULOUS.
                          ///END ACT///
THE "NEW YORK TIMES" NEWSPAPER LAST MONTH QUOTED UNIDENTIFIED U-S
OFFICIALS AS SAYING RUSSIA IS AMONG THE MAIN WEAPONS SUPPLIERS TO
THE ANTI-TALEBAN FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN. RUSSIA AT THE TIME DENIED
THE CHARGE.
//REST OPT// MOSCOW HAS FOR YEARS MAINTAINED A FORCE OF 
25-THOUSAND TROOPS IN TAJIKISTAN ALONG THAT FORMER SOVIET 
REPUBLIC'S FRONTIER WITH AFGHANISTAN. RUSSIA ITSELF HAS  NO  
BORDER WITH AFGHANISTAN, BUT REGARDS THE FORMER SOVIET-AFGHAN 
FRONTIER AS ITS LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST THE SPREAD OF RADICAL 
ISLAM. (SIGNED)
NEB/PFH/PCF
13-Aug-98 10:04 AM EDT (1404 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.