European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 30, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday. January 30,1990 the stars and stripes Page 9 red army hammered by problems ethnic strife bloc turmoil cracking soviet bulwarks i. /. 4. .,.,.,. B Stephen m. Meyer new York times As revolution sweeps Eastern Europe and unrest erupts across the soviet Union the red army the foundation of soviet superpower status is in serious trouble. Its huge stocks of modern weapons remain Hul to foundation of a fighting Force is the people in uniform. In this respect the state of the soviet military today and us ability to carry out its traditional Mission arc worse than at any time since the stalinist purges of the 1930s. The longtime fear in the West an unprovoked soviet conventional attack on Western Europe has evaporated with the virtual collapse of the Warsaw act and the ongoing reduction of soviet forces in Eastern Europe. No soviet military strategist would Ever have imagined the fall of All communist regimes in analysis Eastern Europe within a few months of each other. Military planning in Moscow must be in chaos. The constabulary role of the soviet armed forces within the East bloc Alliance no longer exists since soviet Leader Mikhail s. Gorbachev nullified the arc a nov doctrine which held that the Ovici Union was obligated to intervene in another communist state if the continuance of system was threatened. Even if Ovici policy changes the red army cannot take Back Eastern Europe. And the wrenching experience of Afghanistan makes it highly unlikely that troops will be sent to fight guerrilla wars outside Ovici Borders for years to come. What is left is the role soviet troops Are playing today the suppression of internal political and ethnic lure Oil. And Here the ability of the red army to perform Well is in serious doubt. The military has always portrayed itself As the  of inc so  brings together Oung men from the Many dozens of nationalities that make up inc population and leaches them to think As Ovici citizens. Or so inc propaganda goes. Thus it must have come As quite a Surprise to learn that As ethnic fighting in the caucasus intensified both a Cuba Irani anal armenian soldiers aided the irrespective Brethren in obtaining automatic rifles grenade launchers Anli aircraft Rock land. Reportedly helicopters. Some officers and conscripts of both nationalities were even said to have removed the identifying insignias from their uniforms and to have gone awol. To join the conflict. Bringing their tactical training with them. The ample Supply ofic trans from in Afghanistan conflict ensured thai there was no Lack of knowledge about How 10 use inc weaponry. So much for inc Garcal melting pot of the red army. Then there is the strange Case of the on again off again Call up of Ovici army reserves. After inc initial wave of troops was deployed to Azerbaijan s capital Baku. Inc soviet leadership announced it was mobilizing Reserve forces. This decision was greeted with a huge outcry from Moi cars who feared thai a Domestic Afghanistan was in the making. The a Cal Day. The soviet defense minister announced the virtual cancellation of the mobilization order a humiliating Bow to Public pressure. So whal has happened to the authority and self Confidence of the Ovici army in fact the Azerbaijan episode is but a symptom of a much larger decline in the prestige morale and discipline suffered by the red army in recent  military writers lament thai nationalist Fervour is rapidly replacing patriotism. Today s Young people no longer consider sacrifice for inc orca scr Ovici Good to be a sacred duly. Wearing a uniform in Public used to be a Mailer of Pride an privilege bul nol now. This problem will not go away As nationalist Schlim cols con linux to Rise and As the Prospect grows that troops will Sec increased action in Domestic fighting. Concern Over the troops morale and discipline has caused some Soviel officers to question we Cher regular army units should be used to control Doc slip disturbances. They argue thai inc army should be used Only to Soviel armoured vehicles confront a crowd of azerbaijani nationalists Hlaic King a Renud near kirov bad. Defend against Exi canal enemies and that policy forces should handle internal Security. Other officers claim to see no distinction Between Domestic and foreign threats to soviet Security. They say the army should be used to defend the country against any Clanger. Further polarization of inc officer corps May be unavoidable As National isl move cols continue to take to the so reels. Perhaps More explosive is ethnic tension among the state of the soviet military today and its ability to carry out its traditional Mission Are worse than at any time since the stalinist purges of the 1930s. The troops that mirrors inc problem in Ovici society at Large. Long held in Check by strict discipline incr cd Gnu. Hazing has developed into far More serious crimes among soldiers including homosexual rape and murder. These incidents in turn have hastened Calls Loi dissolving the soviet army and replacing it with territorial or National militias a to Emend thai i especially Strong in the Bailies bul is growing in other republics. In an at Cpl to mollify National isl leaders. The ministry of defense despite is better judgment substantially increased the proportion of Nal i Veco scripts Slali once on Bailie Home territories from several percent to about 35 percent. Any further move toward territorial militias is now Oul of he question. Roving bands of Well armed azerbaijani and armenian gunmen offer Loo Clear a picture of thai polemical Nightmare. Compounding the growing sense of malaise among Ovici military officers arc the continuing challenges to i hair professional prerogative and influence on policy. Gorbachev s Highl touted unilateral Forte tuts were imposed Over the vociferous objections of military leaders. Adding insult to injury in quickly became obvious As inc culs were being Camcy Oul that Little provision had been made for housing acc Dingo employing Many Olathe decommissioned officers and their families. C consequently More than 10.000 former guardians of the motherland have literally no place to in e or work in Early 1989, stud Cal draft deferments Perere instilled by the supreme soviet despite the Strong opposition of the ministry of defense that this move would seriously undermine military readiness. The military research and develop men budget was slashed Despic warnings from defense ministry officials that such culs would endanger soviet a count Over the Long term. Soviel military leaders openly fear that the military is being made the Scapegoat of All the economic ills of inc country and thai the entire Burden of turning the Economy around will be placed on the Back of the defense ministry. The pc Sligo and influence of sen Ici  has never been lower does this imply that the red army is incapable of defending soviet territory from an attack by some foreign enemy the answer is clearly no. A serious threat by a foreign Power would crystallize patriotic feelings As happened in the Wake of the a i invasion of 1941. And inc soviet Union remains a strategic nuclear superpower. Correspondingly some Western analysts continue to \ Oice concern that Gorbachev s new military policies might actually result in a leaner meaner red army capable of posing a renewed offensive threat to the West. If by leaner they mean a military that is ill fed ill housed stripped of special privileges and Lalus. With under motivated officers and unfilled draft quotas and if by meaner they mean a disillusioned frustrated and increasingly isolated military leadership an commanding cadres torn apart by erupting inter Al hmm strife Ihnn one could hardly disagree. Shawnn m a ver. Pom a so enc to Nuoi l Imma menus is nimm of tact wog Maun 10 u 5 deems. An inc 05