And Who After Yeltsin

摘要

Aleksandr I. Lebed remains all but unknown to most Americans. Yet in the summerof 1996, this 46-year-old former two-star general became, literally overnight, one of Russia's most powerful men. Lebed, who rose to prominence three years ago as commander of Russia's 14th Army in Moldova, finished in a surprisingly strong third place in the June 16 Russian presidential election. This achievement positioned him to swing the runoff election between the two top contenders, Boris Yeltsin and Gennady Zyuganov. On June 17, Yeltsin appointed Lebed as his national security adviser and Security Council secretary. On July 3, Yeltsin won his second term in office. An understanding of Lebed's outlook on domestic and international issues can offer insight into the kind of Russia the United States will have to deal with in the years ahead. It makes sense for American and allied defense leaders to get to know as well as possible who Lebed really is and what he represents.