European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 the stars and Stripe wednesday August 21,1991 coup masters Sou hard liners made newspaper plea in july by Henry Dodds editor Jane a intelligence review hard liners in the soviet military signalled their intention last month to move against president Mikhail s. Gorbachev. Senior military and Interior ministry leaders put their signature to an impassioned article published in the hard line newspaper a Ovetskaya Rossiya on july 23. Galled a a word to the people a the article was a sensational and desperate Appeal to russians first and Foremost and second to All citizens of the soviet Union to Rise up in Defiance of the government and resist those now in Power a who do not love the country and who Are dooming us to a miserable existence of vegetation in slavery and subjection to our All powerful the authors created the dark image of a state that was perishing a sinking into non existence a because of the a intentionally destructive foreign directed activities of Crafty pompous masters Clever and cunning apostates and greedy Money grubbing a a your Home is already burning to the ground a the authors went on to warn a the Bones of the people Are being ground up and the Backbone of Russia is broken in the Appeal had two Basic themes first that the soviet Union be preserved at All costs and second that All patriotic russians be prepared to repel a the destroyers of the Homeland a. A we arc convinced a wrote the authors a that the troops of the army and Navy faithful to their sacred duty will not allow a fratricidal War or the destruction of the fatherland that they will step Forth As the dependable guarantors of Security and As the bulwark of All the healthy forces in the article was signed by 12 prominent figures in the soviet military and political system including the commander of soviet ground forces army Gen. Valentin Varen Nikov and the Deputy minister of internal affairs col. Gen. Boris Gromov. These two generals would have been Well placed to plan and direct the use of army and Interior ministry mid forces in the coup against Gorbachev. In another article published in a soviet Magazine last May Oleg Baklanov first Deputy chairman of the defense Council a one of the key men behind the move against Gorbachev a described analysis How the army would hand Over Power As soon As possible after a coup. A the army if it has to take responsibility for governing the Economy transportation and society As a whole could Only support that government for a certain period of time and at an extremely Low level a Baklanov wrote. A the army would be interested in transferring this government to civilians and to promote the restoration of civilian structures As soon As possible. A in general enormous organizational experience has been accumulated in the armed forces and the defense Industry of which society can take advantage. The armed forces he continued have demonstrated the ability a to create an entire Economy an entire science new mines new cities new cadres of workers and engineers to form an infrastructure and to provide regulation and command control to millions of components a technological social and psychological. A therefore the defense Industry has much greater organizational experience than say newly appointed politicians who Are incapable of ensuring even garbage collection on the streets of Moscow cannot feed or clothe the population or plan a City management another key figure the commander of the general staff Academy col. Gen. Rodionov said in the article that notwithstanding changes in soviet society the army retained popular support. A despite the entire anti army uproar the army remains the people s favorite offspring. A the people have developed a certain scepticism toward Many structures but not toward the Rodionov commanded the Transcaucasia military District in 1989, when 20 people were killed by his troops in Street riots in Georgia. Quot while there Are Liberal elements within the armed forces that May seek to oppose a hard line coup it is unlikely that the new leaders would have made their move for Power without being fairly sure they could quickly neutralize such centers of opposition. The chances of effective opposition to the coup from within the russian Republic a even allowing for such Calls from its president Boris n. Yeltsin a Are seen to be slight. However there May be More effective opposition from the republics in particular the Ukraine and some of the Southern republics. The next couple of Days will be critical to the new regime and for anyone hoping to oppose , fear sadness Greet ouster news in . By Mary Macvean the associated press the ouster of soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev showed How close Many americans have grown to the citizens of a country once considered the greatest threat to their future. All sorts of people were surprised saddened or worried monday for loved ones or business prospects a soviets in the United states on Goodwill visits or with relatives still in that country. A politicians and investors. A merchants and Farmers. For Many the news and How Little there was of it brought to mind suspicions of an evil communist enemy with unscrupulous secret agencies a we Are very very sad Quot said Antanas Klimas who emigrated from Lithuania to Rochester n.y., in 1948. A a in a afraid that the army and Kab will put in their puppet a it will be night again for Russia Quot said Mikhail Mogilevsky 33, a soviet jew working As a lab technician in Atlanta a it will be Rcpt cession again like 1937 under Stalin. If the Kab is in charge it will be Seattle immigration attorney Dan Danilov broke the news to passengers aboard the soviet ship academic Shishov which is on a Goodwill tour. A you could just see the Shock in their faces a he said. A one of the ladies started crying saying a of my god of my god in soviet jewish organizations said they were worried about the 60,000 soviet two soviet in girls in Rochester n.y., react while watching television news detailing the overthrow of soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev on monday. Jews holding exit visas for Israel and the thousands More in the application process. The coup could Lead to an increase in anti semitism said rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in los Angeles. Several members of Congress said the United states must continue to support reforms begun by Gorbachev in 1985. Others echoed president Bush a statement that the soviet people would not easily give up the freedoms they had tasted. Among the people caught off guard were 21 soviet sky divers in Everett wash., for the Washington International air fair. They refused to believe the news until they could see for themselves. They Are to go Home next week. But Mara Erkmanis of the Chicago latvian association which received 500 Calls monday Wasny to surprised a the la Tivian Community is quite surprised at Bush a Surprise. Whereas the . Intelligence we All knew this was coming he amp to said calling Between the United states and the soviet Union was 100 times greater than Normal monday though the company would not disclose How Many Calls were made. It said it handled More than 2 million Calls Between the two countries last year. Some soviets in the United states said they were having trouble getting through by Telephone to families left behind. Others were worried. A a in a terrified. After 11 years you know All bad memories Are up front a said Irina Mcclellan who married an american in the soviet Union and then fought for years to join him in Alexandria a. She said she was trying to Contact her Mother in Moscow to Check on her daughter who is travelling with a soviet passport. Irina my Atesh who emigrated from the soviet Union two years ago and lives in Charleston w.va., said she is worried about her parents and other relatives in Odessa in the Ukraine. A a it san uncontrolled situation a she said. A a it a dangerous for the commercial air traffic in and out of Moscow continued normally monday said a pan am spokesman Jeffrey Kriendler. At Aeroflot soviet airlines in Washington manager Victor Novoselov said he had not had any correspondence with Moscow or his . Headquarters in new York. Flights have not been changed he said. Aeroflot a first flight this week from Washington to Moscow was tuesday
