			Foreign Correspondent

		      Inside Track On World News
	    By International Syndicated Columnist & Broadcaster
		 Eric Margolis <emargolis@lglobal.com>

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THE MYSTERIOUS MR PRIMAKOV
by
Eric Margolis 11 jan 96



On Tuesday, after daring Chechen rebels staged another
spectacular raid, Boris Yeltsin delivered a televised public
scolding to his most powerful ministers. `How did this
happen,' hectored Yeltsin, `Who permitted this outrage?'
None of the ministers replied. Heads down, they busily
studied their notes.    

The spectacle of Russia's `power ministers' being dressed
down on TV by Yeltsin like truant school boys was well
beyond bizarre.  In fact, it sharply reminded me of a film I
once saw of one of Idi Amin's crazy cabinet meetings. 

`Most important thing in Uganda,' says Amin, `is love your
leader.'  The ministers take  notes furiously. `Number two
most important thing: Love your leader!'  Amin smiles.

`Number three. Be on time!'  The ministers scribble
frantically.  Amin beams. His ministers sweat in fear and
squirm, 

The Kremlin, lurching from one crisis to the next,
alternates between drunken brutishness - as in Chechenya -
and low Slavic farce.  One wonders nervously, is the same
shaky hand that holds the vodka bottle also on Russia's
nuclear trigger?

The magnificent Chechen fighters struck again during 
Orthodox Christmas.  Their raid in Daghestan shook Russia
and forced the world to open its eyes to Moscow's genocidal
attempts to crush Chechen independence.  It also put Yeltsin
on the spot: his plans to run for re-election next year may
founder on the crags of Chechnya.  

Ominously for the west, this week Yeltsin named Yevgeny
Primakov as Russia's new Foreign Minister.  Primakov
replaces the amiable Andrei Kozyrev, who was reviled by most
Russians as  weak, dithering and shamelessly pro-western. 
No one will accuse Primakov of such vices.

This column has watched and admired Primakov for years. 
Though not well known in the west, Primakov is one of the
most talented, wily and intelligent members of Russia's 
elite.  Reportedly of Jewish background, he began his career
in the 1960's as a Mideast correspondent for Pravda- a
standard  cover for KGB agents. Primakov, who speaks fluent
Arabic and English, quickly rose to prominence.  As head of
Moscow's Institute of Oriental Studies, a KGB offshoot, he
came to the attention of Mikhail Gorbachev.

Primakov became Gorbachev's main Mideast troubleshooter, 
outfoxing some of the region's wiliest foxes, respected by 
friend and foe. This column believes Primakov negotiated a
secret deal between President Bush and Saddam Hussein just
before Desert Storm was launched in 1991.  Iraqi was allowed
to pull its main force troops out of Kuwait before the US-
led ground offensive began.  Bush was able to claimed a
great military victory with almost no casualties.  Saddam
remained in power, thanks to help from Primakov.

When Yeltsin elbowed Gorbachev aside, Primakov, though a
dedicated communist,  effortlessly aligned himself with
Yeltsin.  In 1991, Primakov was named head of the Foreign
Intelligence Service, the  KGB's renamed First Chief
Directorate. Now, he becomes foreign minister at a when
Russia's external affairs are a mess.

Expect Primakov to: 1.revitalize the Foreign Ministry; 2. 
adopt a far less cooperative policy with the west; 3. try to
keep East Europe and the Balkans  in Moscow's sphere of
influence; 4. reassert Russian influence in the Mideast,
particularly Syria, Iraq and Iran; 5. push a harder line in
the Caucasus and Central Asia; 6. back Serbia.

As Foreign Minister, Primakov is likely to lead Russia in 
pressing its great power geopolitical interests, which have
taken a back seat in recent years.  He will also accelerate
efforts to reassemble the major portion of the old Soviet
Union, while keeping its remaining breakaway parts, like
Ukraine and the Baltic states, firmly within Moscow's
footprint. Priority number one, remains keeping East Europe
out of NATO.  

So, no more Mr Nice Guy at the Foreign Ministry. No more
kow-towing to the west. Yevgeny Primakov is going to put
Russia's foreign affairs back on track and remind Russians -
and the world -that Moscow remains `the Third Rome.'

copyright Eric Margolis january 1996

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