Russians rattled by NATO request to help in Afghanistan

NATO and Russia long time foes now may team up to tackle the insurgency in Afghanistan. As the saying goes: Misery loves company. While the Russian government may think it is in Russia's interest to help NATO produce a stable secure Afghanistan many Russian citizens have very painful memories of the period when Russian troops were in Afghanistan.

Fyodor Lukyanov editor of the journal Russia in Global Affairs says Russia has realized a new shared interest:"Because Russia claims so many times this sphere of privileged interest, now it will be completely destructive for our image if we say, 'No, we don't have to deal with it,' " The Russians are concerned about the flow of drugs and also of militants into the former Soviet republics adjoining Afghanistan. Therefore it makes sense to the Russians to help NATO stabilize the area. It will also give Russia some influence to help control events within Afghanistan.

But Russian citizens remember that 15,000 Soviet troops were killed in Afghanistan back in the 1980's. The fight was often against mujahedeen funded by the U.S. When Lukyanov writes about partnering with NATO he receives plenty of vicious comments from readers and virtually no sympathy.

Lukyanov said:"Comments were that Americans should blame themselves. Let them fail completely; Russia should not help them," When the U.S. led force went into Afghanistan after the 2001 Sept 11 attacks it ruled out sending ground troops to help. Russia even has complained of NATO and the US using an air base in Kygyzstan. But now Russia has promised to open more transportation routes for NATO through Russia. These will be vital as routes through Pakistan are often under attack.

Russia is very concerned about drug traffic. Last month Russia sent agents onto Afghan soil to help U.S. and NATO forces shut down drug labs. Karzai was not informed that a non-NATO country was operating with NATO on Afghan soil. He was initially at least not happy about it. Yet Russia is talking of more raids and of training Afghan helicopter pilots. Even this minor involvement worries many Russians.

The involvement may very well help the Taliban and just mean to Afghans that NATO and Russians are just the same and to be attacked mercilessly. A former Soviet veteran says:"Even if it's one Russian soldier, to an Afghan population that has no means of communication, maybe it's a force of a hundred thousand," "All the bad memories will come back. In remote villages there will be rumors: 'Soviet soldiers are back in Afghanistan.' "