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Russia warns America over Afghan involvement

Russia has warned it will take years to dismantle the al-Qaeda terrorist network even if its cells in Afghanistan are largely destroyed.

North America correspondent Lisa Millar reports Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov (sair-GAY ee-vuh-NOF) says no one should be overly optimistic about the war on terrorism.

Sergei Ivanov says Russia's experience of fighting in Afghanistan gives it an understanding of the country. While he concedes the United States-led campaign has made progress, he says it will take years to dismantle the roots of the terrorist network. ACT: and we have a history of knowing what afghanistan is and from the very start we told people, not the American military because they shared our view from the very start but the general public they shouldn't be very overly optimistic. END ACT The Defence Minister, who's been meeting with his American counterpart Donald Rumsfeld, also believes Osama bin Laden is still alive and hiding somewhere near Afghanistan. Lisa Millar Washington.

18/03/2002 13:49:48 | ABC Radio Australia News

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