Russian military accuses US of hypocrisy

MOSCOW - A top Russian military official accused the United States of fomenting trouble among Russia's ex-Soviet allies and hypocrisy in its dealings with Iran and North Korea.

General Yuri Baluyevsky, head of the general staff, singled out joint US and Russian action to fight international terrorism as an area in which cooperation was working well.

But, using unusually sharp language, he told a news conference that there were several areas where relations between the two former superpower rivals had now cooled.

Washington's policy towards Iran in particular, he said, was hypocritical.

"The United States demands full transparency in the nuclear programmes of countries (like) North Korea and Iran. But on the other hand it closes its eyes to the fact that Israel has already for a long time...possessed an impressive nuclear weapons arsenal," Baluyevsky said.

Washington believes Tehran is developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is for energy needs only.

Israel neither denies nor admits having a nuclear arsenal, but experts estimate it has between 100 and 200 atomic bombs.

Russia opposes nuclear proliferation but says there is no proof of US suspicions of Iran and defends Tehran's right to pursue a peaceful nuclear technology programme.

Turning to US activities closer to Russia's borders, Baluyevsky accused Washington of having a hand in political upheavals in Georgia and Ukraine, where mass street protests brought down the post-Soviet order in what became known as the Rose and Orange revolutions.

"We can not agree with our American colleagues when internal situations develop along the path of stimulating 'rose' and 'coloured' revolutions," he said.

Russia, he said, did not seek to act as a 'big brother' to these former Soviet allies but would defend the rights of tens of millions of ethnic Russians in the former Soviet Union.

"We, the Russian Federation, have the right in the post-Soviet space to defend the interests of Russia and we will do just that." He did not elaborate.

- REUTERS