The New World Order

For those engaged in the debate about whether the “new world order” constitutes a changed Russia or merely a hiatus in Russian-American confrontation, the appointment of Yvgeni Primakov as the new Foreign Minister for Russia should answer the question.

Primakov is no friend of the West. He has been a critic of NATO’s plans to grant membership to former Communist countries and a staunch advocate for a tougher line from Moscow towards the West.

For those engaged in the debate about whether the “new world order” constitutes a changed Russia or merely a hiatus in Russian-American confrontation, the appointment of Yvgeni Primakov as the new Foreign Minister for Russia should answer the question.

Primakov is no friend of the West. He has been a critic of NATO’s plans to grant membership to former Communist countries and a staunch advocate for a tougher line from Moscow towards the West.

In addition, he is an Arabist and Pro-Islamist with strong ties to Saddam Hussein. His stance may negatively impact efforts to create a secure and lasting peace in the Middle East and will almost surely re-interject Russia as either a player or wanna-be player in the Middle East negotiations.

Primakov’s ascension to head of the Foreign Minisry is compounded by both the forced resignation of Anatoly Chubais, the driving force behind the restructuring of the Russian economy and privatization, and the demotion of Boris Yeltsin’s Chief of Staff, Sergei Filatov, both of whom were deemed too Pro-Western.
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The Counter-Terrorism Bill cannot be found among the legislation to be debated by the House of Representatives during the upcoming second session of the 104th Congress. The Bill, which was first introduced by President Clinton following the bombing of the World Trade Center and passed by the Senate in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, has been tabled by Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee opposed to the controversial bill. Although a diluted version of the Bill was proposed with amendments addressing the concerns of congressmen regarding civil liberties, a compromise has yet to be reached. A source in the Judiciary Committee told JINSA that the Bill has not gone to the Rules Committee and probably will not be coming up anytime soon.

JINSA asks if the U.S. will have to suffer another tragedy before liberals and conservatives will agree on bringing this important legislation to a vote. Their partisan politics are tying up an extremely important bill effecting our national security. Until this bill is brought forward in the House, JINSA will remain in constant contact with legislators on this vital issue.
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JINSA recently issued a Viewpoint by Iraq expert Dr. Laurie Mylroie who maintains that Iraq remains a serious threat. According to Dr. Mylroie, Iraq still possesses the “most deadly unconventional agents and the missiles to deliver them,” even after five years of sanctions and four years of international inspections. Saddam continues to hold on to a large arsenal of biological and chemical agents, including the most lethal agent VX, and the biological agent anthrax; yet, our government refuses to take this problem seriously.