Russian speaker slams new US security strategy

Moscow, Mar 22 (UNI) The speaker of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russian Parliament, Sergei Mionov, today slammed the new US national security strategy.

''In short, it states: If I want - I pardon, but if I want - I punish,'' Mr Mironov told mediapersons, stressing that the new national security strategy, which was published March 16, raised certain serious questions.

He pointed out that under the new security strategy ''every country is judged from the standpoint of America's views on freedom.'' Mr Mironov asked where the US would stand ''in this sense'' on Iraq and on the camp in Guantanamo Bay, which was set up as part of the ''war on terror'' to hold suspected terrorists, but had been criticised by human rights organisations for alleged human abuses.

Many politicians in Russia had recently accused US of funding opposition movements in neighbouring Ukraine and Georgia which led to pro-Western Government coming to power.

The Russian Foreign Ministry yesterday said the new US national security strategy might worsen relations between the US and Russia.

The document was an evidence of the further ideologisation of US foreign policy, it said.

''From now on, the main criteria for the development of the US relations with foreign countries will be compliance or non-compliance with the American understanding of democracy and the necessities of the fight against unwanted regimes as seen from Washington,'' the statement noted.

UNI XC PV LR BD1830