RUSSIA

Pravda: Mikhail Gorbachev Criticizes US Foreign Policy, Warns Of Consequences
In statements to the Argentine daily Pagina 12, the former Soviet leader denounced "the end of the democracy" in the United States
For the leader of the Russian Social Democrats, the US-led invasion of Iraq was a "serious political mistake", as, in his opinion, there were no conclusive reasons to attack Saddam Hussein's regime. The last Soviet President also warned about the consequences of the unilateral US action. "They did whatever they wanted, and this is a worrying precedent," said Gorbachev.

"It was possible to tolerate such an action in Afghanistan, where the situation was clearer; however, in Iraq, the US was deploying its military the moment UN inspectors started working in the field", complained Gorbachev in a long interview published on Monday in the Argentine press. "They have split the UN Security Council and the world, disregarding global public opinion. This is no longer a democracy."