Russian parliament passes bill on using troops abroad

MOSCOW, October 23, 2009 (RIA Novosti) -

The lower house of the Russian parliament passed on Friday amendments to a law on defense which expands the use of the Russian Armed Forces abroad in certain situations.

President Dmitry Medvedev submitted the amendments to parliament in August, just after the first anniversary of Russia's five-say war with Georgia.

The amendments stipulate that Russian troops can be used abroad to repel an attack on Russian military units or other troops deployed outside the country, to repel or prevent an armed attack on another state asking Russia for military assistance, to defend Russian citizens abroad from an armed attack, to combat sea piracy and to ensure safety of commercial shipping.

Russia's current 2006 legislation only allows the president to send troops to fight terrorism on foreign soil. Experts have said the law lacks clearly defined terms of "wartime" and a "combat situation," which complicates the deployment of army units outside the country.

Russia sent in troops last summer to repel Georgia's offensive on South Ossetia, where Moscow had maintained peacekeepers since a bloody post-Soviet conflict in the early 1990s. Russia was condemned internationally over its "excessive" use of force and subsequent recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

In line with the new document, the Russian president will be entitled to make a decision on using armed forces abroad based on a prior approval by the upper house of the Russian parliament. The president would also be able to determine the strength of the troops to be used abroad and their deployment areas, to set the goals facing them and determine the timeframe of their deployment.

Russia moves to ease concerns over new military doctrine

MOSCOW, October 23, 2009 (RIA Novosti) -

Countries that do not threaten Russia have no reason to fear its new military doctrine, the Russian foreign minister said on Friday.

The new document envisions the use of preemptive nuclear strikes against potential aggressors.

"This process (drafting of a new military doctrine) is transparent. We have repeatedly provided explanations, and it is an ongoing process," Sergei Lavrov said.

"There are no innovations here that would create any threats to anybody - that is, except for those who may be harboring insane plans of attacking the Russian Federation. I hope no one has such plans or ever will," he said.

Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, said Thursday the new doctrine should be submitted to President Dmitry Medvedev by the end of the year.

The current military doctrine outlines the role of the Russian military in ensuring the defense of the country and, if necessary, preparing for and waging war, although it stresses that the doctrine is strictly defensive.

Some Russian military analysts, however, have questioned the need to revise the existing doctrine.

Alexander Sharavin, director of the Institute for Political and Military Analysis, said on October 14 that the current document stipulates the use of nuclear weapons only in large-scale wars when an aggressor has an overwhelming superiority over Russia in men and materiel.

"I think that the provision contained in the 2000 document is comprehensive enough and need not be expanded because nuclear weapons are a political tool and an element of the strategic deterrent. If we announce that we will use these weapons in a local conflict, we will thus belittle its role," he said.