MOSCOW -- To strike or not to strike seems to be the question in Washington these days. A part of the "axis of evil," terrorist-lair Iraq, an old foe, is currently under the scrutiny of U.S. President George W. Bush's administration. While military planners weigh various strategic options for crushing Saddam Hussein's regime, diplomats are busy talking to other capitals -- and one must admit without much success.
The American campaign in Afghanistan was supported, or at least given silent consent, by all major powers. The planned campaign in Iraq, however, causes much controversy. One country that the Bush administration must take into account now is Russia.
Eleven years ago, Moscow wasn't wild about operation Desert Storm. In 1991, the Communist Party still led the country, and the American strike against Iraq after the latter occupied Kuwait was received with much displeasure. Iraq had been Moscow's client state for years, and the Kremlin perceived it as continuing within Moscow's sphere of influence. President Mikhail Gorbachev tried to mediate the conflict by diplomatic means, but that of course did not prevent the Persian Gulf War.