By empty (3/6/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The Emergency Situations Ministry announced on 6 March that it has brought an additional 150 Russian citizens to Moscow from Iraq and that another five flights are scheduled before 10 March that will evacuate virtually all the Russians remaining in that country. Russian oil majors Yukos, LUKoil, and Zarubezhneft have all reportedly summoned their employees home. The Emergency Situations Ministry\'s move is a sign that Moscow has few hopes that a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis will be found, and that war appears imminent.

By empty (3/6/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov on 5 March met in Paris with his French and German counterparts, Dominique de Villepin and Joschka Fischer, and the three men issued a joint statement pledging to block the adoption of a \"military\" UN Security Council resolution on Iraq, Western and Russian news agencies reported. The statement further asserts that, if necessary, France and Russia -- which are permanent Security Council members with veto power -- will take \"upon themselves all responsibility for preventing the approval of a resolution that will lead to war with Iraq.\" Asked whether this means using a veto if the United States, Great Britain, and Spain insist on a vote on the draft resolution that they have submitted, Ivanov said, \"Yes,\" and added that this pledge has now been committed to paper.

By empty (3/5/2003 issue of the CACI Analyst)

The Afghan Government has said it wants to raise more international funds to rebuild the country and its battered economy. The government said it had received far less money than several other countries recovering from conflict. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers said he feared the current stand-off with Iraq was distracting donors\' attention.