Russian Defense Chief Slams U.S. Stand on Iraq

MOSCOW —  In a televised rebuke that appeared to startle Defense Secretary William S. Cohen on his first trip to this capital, the Russian defense minister Thursday denounced the United States’ “uncompromising and tough” stand on Iraq and warned that airstrikes on Baghdad could have “grave consequences” for U.S.-Russian military ties.

“Is America ready for all the possible consequences?” Igor D. Sergeyev demanded of Cohen at what had been expected to be a routine photo session at the Russian Defense Ministry.

The 59-year-old career soldier said his country has “deep concern over the possible costs to U.S.-Russian military relations” if Washington makes good on threats to strike Iraq to end a standoff with President Saddam Hussein over U.N. weapons inspections.

Cohen looked surprised by Sergeyev’s outburst but collected himself and delivered a cool response.

“You properly raised the question of what are the possible consequences of acting militarily,” Cohen said. “It is equally appropriate to ask the question, ‘What if we fail to act and allow Saddam to continue to flout the U.N. resolutions, to continue to play hide-and-seek with the inspectors?’ ”

Russian security men herded reporters from the room before Cohen could finish his statement.

With important economic and political interests in Iraq, Russian leaders have been urging a softer line and complaining bitterly about U.S. threats of war. But this outburst--filmed by Russian TV crews and likely to get maximum play across the country--was one of the most dramatic yet.

U.S. officials, leery of any development that focuses attention on diplomatic divisions over how to deal with Iraq, sought to play down the incident. They insisted that the Americans and Russians agree that Hussein must allow unfettered U.N. inspections. And they said there was no further talk of threats to the U.S.-Russian military relationship once the cameras were out of range.

“I think it was a staged lecture for domestic consumption,” said one U.S. defense official.

Any chill in U.S.-Russian military ties would be a setback for the Clinton administration. Officials have invested great time and money in efforts to hasten the Russians’ dismantling of Soviet-era weaponry.

Sergeyev warned that a military clash with Iraq could lead to release of chemical or germ weapons, which could send toxic clouds across the tier of countries just south of Russia with devastating effect.

Noting that it was Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Sergeyev quoted the American president as saying: “Force can conquer all, but its victories are short.”

Cohen responded that, in fact, the effects of Lincoln’s victory had lasted many generations. And he sought to rebut Sergeyev’s suggestions that the United States is moving toward use of force too quickly, saying President Clinton had “exercised great caution.”

Cohen’s visit was arranged long ago, according to U.S. officials, primarily to talk about disarmament and nuclear safety. But the Iraq issue came up in sessions with Sergeyev, with Andrei Kokoshin, a top defense advisor to President Boris N. Yeltsin, and in a meeting with members of the Duma.

In related developments Thursday:

* Russia vehemently denied reports that U.N. inspectors have evidence Moscow agreed in 1995 to sell Iraq equipment that could be used to cultivate germ warfare agents.

“We resolutely reject such gross attacks which distort actual reality,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Gennady Tarasov said of the allegations.

He suggested that the leaked U.N. report was an attempt to discredit Russian proposals for more effective work by the U.N. commission overseeing weapons inspections.

* On Capitol Hill, Republican and Democratic congressional leaders made speeches condemning Hussein and pledging unified support to U.S. forces if Clinton orders military action against Iraq.

But Congress adjourned for a 10-day recess without acting on a resolution urging the president “to take all necessary and appropriate action” to respond to Iraq’s chemical and biological weapons programs. Congress is to return Feb. 23.

*

Times staff writer Norman Kempster in Washington contributed to this report.