Maturity in Moscow

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin’s announcement that Moscow will provide help in a U.S. campaign in Afghanistan cannot have come easily. Surely the reasons for Russia to stand back were nearly as compelling as the justifications for assistance, but in the end Moscow saw that a united front against terrorism is a necessity.

Russia can prove to be a valuable ally, supplying assistance to a military effort and intelligence on Islamic extremists such as Osama bin Laden and guerrilla networks in Afghanistan and Central Asia. Allowing U.S. access to bases in the republics that were part of the Soviet Union and where Russia still has great influence, such as Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, can give the United States a prime military staging area. Russia also has strong ties with the Northern Alliance of guerrillas fighting the Taliban government of Afghanistan, which shelters Bin Laden and his Al Qaeda organization.

There will be a price for Russian assistance, one that Washington should try to minimize. The Russian army has been savage in battling rebels in the province of Chechnya since fighting broke out in 1994. The United States and human rights groups properly have condemned butchery on both sides.

The Russians say it’s a give-no-quarter war not against separatist guerrillas but against terrorist gangs, some of which get assistance from Bin Laden. They claim the Chechens are responsible for bombings in Moscow that have killed hundreds.

Washington will not be able to trumpet its concerns about the brutality as loudly as it would wish, but it must make clear to the Russians that it does object and that Russia’s agreement to aid the anti-terror alliance is not a green light for savagery.

An unfortunate possible portent came in Berlin Tuesday, when German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder met with Putin and welcomed his offer of support for the anti-terrorism drive. Schroeder said the attacks two weeks ago on New York and Washington should prompt a “new evaluation” of Russia’s battle against Islamic rebels in Chechnya.

Russia’s offer of help does continue a stunning turnabout from the Cold War standoff, with Moscow’s halfhearted cooperation in the former Yugoslavia a stop on the way. Given Russia’s tragic experience in Afghanistan, where thousands of troops died and the army was defeated after a 10-year war against a ragtag but determined guerrilla force supported by the U.S., Russia deserves praise for opening its airspace for deliveries of humanitarian aid and letting its allies provide air bases.

Russia has valid concerns that if Washington conducts a military operation and leaves too soon, or fails to dismantle terror networks, Islamic extremists will blame Moscow and make it a target for terror. The Russians also do not want to see a permanent U.S. presence in the area, which would be a visible symbol of Russia’s status as a junior partner dependent on Washington’s direction.

Putin faced hard choices and crossed a significant line, making Russia an important member of the anti-terror coalition.