Russia's military

To hear Defense Minister Igor Rodionov and other key commanders harping on the disarray in the Russian armed forces, one can make a facile leap to imagine the disturbing situation. A gangster boss worms his way into the strategic command structure and gets close to the country's nuclear trigger. Famished officers seize missiles and heavy arms to sell abroad, buyers unknown -- again through the Mafia's web of connections. Worse still, salary arrears and uncertainties about President Boris Yeltsin's durability in office lead to the chain of command breaking down irretrievably. Regional chieftains then emerge to carve up Russia.

The doomsday warnings sounded by Defense Minister Rodionov and other generals are essentially meant to put pressure on Yeltsin to find means for the military machine to operate efficiently. That, however, does not gloss over the fact that the military is not in a happy state. Loss of morale over the costly Chechen war have been infectious, wage arrears still remain a problem and there are simply too many soldiers on the payroll. Yeltsin's military reforms will therefore be crucial.

-- The Straits Times, Singapore