Pakistan News

AS Upah Askar Russia Untuk Berperang di Afghanistan

(US Recruits Russian Mercenary Soldiers To Fight in Afghanistan)

MOSCOW (PNS) - Media Russia telah mendedahkan satu lagi bahan bukti betapa AS sedang mengrekrut veteran perang Russia untuk kembali berperang di Afghanistan, tetapi berita ini dinafikan oleh kedutaan AS di sana.

Satu laporan TV menunjukkan seorang askar simpanan yang berusia 40 tahun, dan pernah berperang di Afghanistan selama 10 tahun ketika penaklukan Soviet pada 1980-an dulu, sebagai berkata dia akan berlepas untuk berperang lagi menentang Afghan, tetapi kali ini di sebelah pihak AS. Demikian mengikut laporan IANS.

Beliau enggan membiarkan kamera merakam gambar mukanya ataupun memberitahu namanya. Veteran perang itu berlagak bahawa tidak ada satu ceruk bumi Afghanistan yang tidak pernah dijejakinya.

Walaupun kedutaan AS di Moscow enggan memberikan komen, seorang lagi rakyat Russia yang ditunjukkan dalam program itu berkata dia telah bertemu warga Amerika yang menguruskan pengambilan tenaga askar upahan itu.

Dalam satu lagi siaran, pengawal keselamatan di kedutaan AS telah dirakam memberitahu para wartawan betapa mereka sudah keletihan disebabkan ratusan pertanyaan rakyat Russia yang mahu tahu di mana pusat pemilihan tenaga kerahan upahan itu. Rakyat Russia naik seronok mengetahui gaji yang tinggi, dan kerana itu ramai yang datang itu bukan sahaja daripada Moscow, tetapi daripada Tula, Rezan dan Pskov,' demikian seorang pengawal keselamatan menyebutnya.

Media Russia telah melaporkan wujudnya pusat pengambilan tenaga di Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhi, Novgoroddan beberapa bandar Russia yang lain, secara rahsia. Veteran perang Afghan itu dikatakan telah ditawarkan sebanyak $5,000 dollar sebulan untuk berjuang bersebelahan askar Amerika Syarikat.

Duta AS di Moscow, Alexander Vershbow pada hari Isnin lalu telah menafikan bahawa kedutannya terlibat dalam pengambilan veteran Russia. Menteri Pertahanan Russia Sergei Ivanoc, turut menafikan wujudnya usaha itu kerana kata beliau mengikut undang-undang Russia adalah satu kesalahan bertaraf jenayah kalau mengambil askar upahan di Russia.

Tetapi pemerhati ketenteraan di sini percaya Russia mungkin telah memberikan keizinan kepada AS untuk mengambil veteran perang Afghan, memandangkan dua negara itu kini sudah memperbaiki hubungan antara dua negara.

Terjemahan: SPAR

Asal:

http://www.paknews.com/main.php?id=7&date1=2001-11-22

US recruiting Russian soldiers to fight war in Afghanistan

Updated on 2001-11-22 11:09:19

MOSCOW, November 22 (PNS): The Russian media has thrown up yet another evidence to show the U.S. is recruiting Russian veterans to fight its war in Afghanistan, a charge the US embassy has denied.

A television report showed a 40-year-old reserve, who had fought the 10-year war in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation in the 1980s, as saying he would soon be going to that country again to fight the Afghans, but this time on the side of the Americans, according to IANS.

He refused to face the camera neither did he tell his name. The veteran boasted there was not a single garrison that he had not visited during his service in Afghanistan, saying he would leave as soon as he signed a contract with the Americans.

While the U.S. embassy in Moscow refused comment, another Russian shown on the programme said he had met Americans in connection with the recruitment exercise.

In another footage, security guards at the U.S. embassy were shown telling the reporter that they were tired of inquiries from hundreds of Russians about the recruitment centre. "They are drawn by promises of huge wages, and there have been visitors not only from Moscow but also from Tula, Rezan, and Pskov," a guard was shown as saying.

The media has reported the existence of underground recruitment centres in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhni, Novgorod and other Russian cities. The Afghan war veterans are being reportedly offered $5,000 a month for fighting alongside the U.S. soldiers.

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow Monday denied that his embassy was engaged in recruitment of Russian veterans. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov, too, maintained he was not aware of any recruitment drive by the U.S., saying under Russian laws recruitment of mercenaries was a criminal offence.

But military observers here said they believed Russia might have already given a green signal to the U.S. to recruit veterans of the Afghan war given the improved relations between the two countries.

End.