America at War: The Hunt: The only thing the Afghans will want is

THE best-known general from the Soviet Union's disastrous Afghan war has warned Britain and America of the deadly perils of waging battle against ruthless mujahedeen fighters.

"One cannot defeat an opponent who is so determined," said Alexander Lebed, a former Kremlin security chief and presidential candidate.

"All of the bombs in the United States and Russia would not be enough to solve this problem."

He pleaded: "May God keep the West from the madness of attacking the peaceful, suffering population of Afghanistan. And God protect the West from believing an invasion of Afghanistan could succeed."

Lebed, 51, served with distinction in the ill-fated Soviet invasion and 10-year occupation of Afghanistan before becoming the governor of the vast Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk. He saw many of his comrades killed at the hands of Afghan fighters.

"No one who has tried to prevail militarily in this country was ever successful." He forecast that Osama bin Laden and other terrorists could evade destruction and capture by hiding in the Afghan mountains. These mountains could be bombed for years "but still they won't budge".

But when the opening shots begin, the Americans and British will become morally responsible for the civilian population. "As soon as there were the first civilian dead, we all of a sudden had a huge number of enemies," he said.

In trying to root out the enemy, the Soviets ended up destroying villages and towns - "perhaps one mujahedeen was killed. The rest were innocent. The survivors hated us and vowed to avenge these killings."

He said of the Afghan fighters: "It seemed that the struggle was the only thing for which they lived. They only wanted one thing - revenge for the dead. They are like wolves."

"That's the truth about this country. I know this from my own experience. And anyone who has gone through the hell of Afghanistan will confirm it to you."

Copyright 2001 MGN LTD
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