Gorbachev criticises US war on terror

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has criticised the US for its approach to the war on terror.

During a stop in Louisville, Kentucky, Gorbachev said the war should be fought not only with “tanks and missiles” but by addressing the “structural problems of the world” that he said left people humiliated and willing to turn to terrorism.

But on racial integration, Gorbachev said the US had set an example in areas ranging from arts to sports for a divided world, The Courier-Journal reported.

The country had shown it is able to overcome its legacy of segregation, he said.

“It gives a much better example and influence on the world than missiles,” he said.

Gorbachev was in Louisville for a speech at the Kentucky Centre sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Kentucky/Southern Indiana. His talk is part of a tour leading up to an international meeting of the Green Cross International, an environmental group that Gorbachev founded. The meeting starts today in New Orleans.

Gorbachev also said Russia was rebounding from the turmoil of the 1990s but that should not make the West fearful.

He said current Russian president Vladimir Putin deserved some criticism, but that in general, he was bringing order to the country.

Putin has drawn criticism for his authoritarian rule and confrontational rhetoric towards the US.

“Russia is a country with which America can get along,” Gorbachev said at a news conference. “This is a reliable partner, but of course it will defend its national interest.”

Gorbachev said he believed Americans and other Western leaders acted with “cynicism” when they praised former Russian President Boris Yeltsin during the 1990s, when economic and social chaos was growing in Russia.

“During the time of Russia’s troubles and hardships, some countries got used to treating Russia a certain way,” Gorbachev said.

“We have everything we need ... to make Russia a successful country. We only need some time. ... Perhaps there are some who don’t want Russia to become stronger.”