Europe's Armory for Terrorism

Original story from The Washington Post, January 3, 2002

A Journal for Western Man-- Issue XXVIII-- December 15, 2004
Mark Lenzi, a Fulbright scholar working in Lithuania and studying U.S. relations with Belarus points out that ... " The country in Europe that deserves the most attention for its support of terrorist groups and rogue states continues to receive the least. That is the lawless and undemocratic country of Belarus, under the rule of Alexander Lukashenko."

"Without a doubt no world leader benefited more from the September terror attacks than Lukashenko, Europe's last dictator, whose ultimate wish is to reunite the Soviet Union. Just as world scrutiny and condemnation were beginning to mount after his rigged and falsified presidential election of Sept.. 9, the tragic events two days later took Washington's quick glance away from this little-known and backward country.

Washington needs to wake up to what is happening in NATO's backyard: Belarus is quietly acting as a leading supplier of lethal military equipment to Islamic radicals - with terrorists and militant organizations in the Middle East, Balkans and Central Asia often the recipients.

... Many of Lukashenko's arms deals have followed a similar pattern: Weapons sent from Belarus are "diverted" from a listed destination country to an Islamic extremist group or a country under U.N. arms embargo while the Belarusian government officials cast a blind eye on the transactions.

... Lukashenko's efforts to sell weapons to generate much-needed income for his beleaguered economy appear to have no bounds. For a country of only 10 million people, it is unsettling that Belarus is ranked year after year among the top 10 weapons-exporting countries. To put in perspective how much military equipment left over from the Soviet Union Lukashenko has at his disposal, consider the following fact: The Belarusian army has 1,700 T-72 battle tanks. Poland, a new NATO member with the most powerful army in Central Europe and with four times the population of Belarus, has only 900 T-72s.

Despite strong denials from Lukashenko, Belarus has been a key partner of Saddam Hussein in his effort to rebuild and modernize Iraq's air defense capability. Belarus has violated international law by secretly supplying Baghdad with SA-3 antiaircraft missile components as well as technicians. Given that Iraq has repeatedly tried to shoot down U.S. and British aircraft patrolling the U.N. no-fly zone - with more than 420 attempts this year alone - covert Belarusian-Iraqi military cooperation is disturbing and should set off alarm bells in Western capitals.

.... It is only thanks to cheap energy subsidies from Russia that the Belarusian economy remains afloat. Since Russia is the only country that has the necessary economic and political influence on Belarus, it is imperative that Washington us e its new relationship with Moscow to encourage the Russians to exert their leverage on Belarus to cease covert arms sales to rogue states and terrorist groups."

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The Embassy of Belarus in the United States issued the following statement concerning the article in the "Washington Post":

Authoritative periodical "Washington Post" issued recently an article with vague allegations that Belarus sells arms to terrorist groups and rogue states in contradiction to international agreements and United Nations resolutions. In this regard Embassy of Belarus states that the Republic of Belarus strictly follows its obligations under international treaties and agreements covering sphere of arms sales. Fully compliant with them Belarus does not sell arms either to nations which are under ban of the United Nations Security Council resolutions or to any terrorist groups which now pose or may in the future introduce a threat to international peace and stability. On the contrary Belarusian policy in the sphere of export control is a subject for consultations with governments of the United States, Great Britain and other countries.

Just the reverse to allegations Belarus has actively participated in counter terrorism efforts both within its borders and in concert with international community. Belarus strongly condemned terrorist attacks of September 11 and presently duly fulfills obligations envisaged in the UN Security Council resolution 1373 on international cooperation to combat terrorism.

Editor's Note: The text of this statement has not been modified in any way.

 This article was originally featured in the Belarusian Review
Vol. 13, Issue 4 (No. 52), but is no longer accessible on the website of said organization. It has accordingly been salvaged and again made available to the public by The Rational Argumentator.

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