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What is the mood in Russia toward the U.S.-led conflict in Iraq? How are Russia's 20 million Muslims affecting the political landscape in the country? Have Thursday's images of jubilant Iraqis changed the situation?

Washington Post foreign correspondent Sharon LaFraniere was online live from Moscow to discuss the mood in Russia as a U.S.-led war in Iraq continues.

The transcript follows.

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Rockville, Md.: There were initial rumors after the fall of Baghdad that Saddam Hussein took refuge in the Russian Embassy. How did the Russian government deal with these reports?

Sharon LaFraniere: The spokesman for the Foreign Ministry firmly denied them.

Wheaton, Md.: Why are Russians so critical of U.S. actions in Iraq? Do they see Americans being anymore brutal then Russians dealing with the Chechen terrorists?

Sharon LaFraniere: The Russians see a big distinction with Chechnya, because that republic is part of Russian territory. Therefore, the argument goes, Russia has every right to try to put down insurrections on its home turf. They don't think the U.S. is justified in a preemptive attack on a foreign country, especially without the backing of the United Nations. Some Russians do see a U.S. effort to limit casualities and destruction that contrasts with the wholesale leveling, for example, of the Chechen capital of Grozny. But they simply don't think the U.S. had the right to go into Iraq.

Arlington, Va.: What reaction did you witness in Moscow to the liberation of Iraq? Were people happy? Pensive?

Thank you.

Sharon LaFraniere: Very quiet, very guarded. So far the Kremlin has not commented at all. That stands out because both French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder have reacted. Chirac said France was "delighted." chroeder said it was a good day because the end of the war closer. Dmitri Rogozin, who heads the international affairs committee of Russian Duma, is one of the few officials to comment at all here. He simply said, "No one had any doubt how the war will end."
Among ordinary Russians, some say they are happy because the war is ending. Others are skeptical, saying they want to know exactly how many civilians died and whether the crowds cheering in the streets reflect the majority of the Iraqi population. One woman said last night, "Maybe they are happy because they can go on plundering and looting." Alot of people noticed the footage of an American soldier putting a U.S. flag on the head of the fallen Saddam Hussein statue. That did not go over well.

Gaithersburg, Md.: During the protest against the war yesterday a few protesters mention that they were escorted there by there unions. Are people bascially forced to protest against the war?

Sharon LaFraniere: One student interviewed on TV said his teacher told him to come, but I don't think 10,000 people were forced into the street. It was very well-organized protest. Earlier rallies drew only a few hundred people, mostly Communists who seem to show up at every protest. This time, Unity, a pro-Kremlin party, was behind the demonstration, along with the trade unions, and the participation was much greater.

Atlanta, Ga.: I was reading your Watching the War article this morning and it struck me how conspiratorial the Russians seem to see the war. I was particularly struck by the views of the shots fired at a Russian diplomatic convoy. Is this a big story there? How is it playing?

washingtonpost.com: For Russians, Each News Report Reinforces Resentment of U.S. (Post, April, 10, 2003)

Sharon LaFraniere: Conspiracy theories like this one are common currency here, because people under communism learned to distrust whatever the authorities and media said. They are really quick to suspect that something is being hidden from them. Last night numerous high-ranking officials tried to knock down the idea that the Russian diplomat convoy was spiriting out any Hussein archives, so I assume that suspicion will die down.
The convoy story here is very big, because five Russians were injured and the journalists and diplomats who were traveling in the column insist the U.S. troops fired first, not the Iraqis. The first car carried a Russian flag, the American military supposedly knew the route, so Russians wonder why the soldiers would begin shooting. The U.S. ambassador here keeps trying to tell the Russian media that the incident was unfortunate but such things happen in a war zone.

Arlington, Va.: I'm really worried about the moral outrage of a country that just gave Joseph Stalin a posthumous 53 percent approval rating.

Sharon LaFraniere: Good point. Russia's attitude toward Stalin is very complex. More than half of them are ambivalent about his legacy or see him as a positive force who led the country to military and industrial greatness. A good segment of the population just wants to forget about the repressions. Some analysts say the country is just too humiliated right now to confront that past.

Arlington, Va.: I see that your article shows Russians are indignant that the US is in Iraq to "get their oil." Did anyone you spoke with show any recognition of Russia's interests in Iraq's oil? The U.S. is often accused of being myopic when it comes to world affairs, but maybe we're not the only ones with our blinders on.

Sharon LaFraniere: Yes, Russia thinks it had legitimate contracts with the Iraqi government to develop Iraq's oil fields. Six out of 10 Russians think the U.S. is attacking so it can simply take over the oil.

Washington, D.C.: Do France, Germany and Russia share strategic interests beyond simple opposition to independent U.S. military activity in the Mideast?

Sharon LaFraniere: Not really, that's why some analysts argue that Russia won't gain much at all by allying itself with France and Germany. They do share economic interests, though, especially Germany and Russia.

The Plains, Va.: Are there many Russian Muslims who are exiles of Iraq, or refugees of that country? Does Russia have a tradition of actively representing those interests? And, keeping in mind the borders Russia has with many Muslim countries, does Russia have a way of negotiating tensions brought on by this war in Iraq? Are there any doubts about the outcome (politically, culturally, reactively by Muslims in those countries) after the war is over?

Sharon LaFraniere: Hard to say, but I don't think there are many Iraqi refugees or exiles here. President Putin has tried to reassure Russia's 20 million Muslims that he shares their dismay over the war. But when one of two Russian Muslim leaders -- who has met recently with Putin-- called for a jihad to Iraq last week, he was quickly slapped down by the Russian government. The Russian prosecutor warned if he would be arrested if he repeated that.

Arlington, Va.: It is well known the tight grip that the Putin administration has on the mass media (CUKA). When I look at all of the Russian media Web sites, there is a very conspicuous absence of reports of the jubilation and celebration in Iraq. Have any Russian media editors admitted the pressure they are getting to spin the issue against the US?

Second question: How many generations will it take in your opinion for the Russians to stop being sore about losing the cold war, stop being jealous of the U.S., and simply become psychologically balanced members of the world community?

Sharon LaFraniere: Last night all the national networks were showing scenes of jublilation, but overall the media is airing more footage from hospitals, destruction, people complaining of no water, food, medicine. The TV news directors do acknowledge any pressure; they say they are giving objective coverage. But media analysts say you can see the Kremlin's slant in the coverage from state-controlled networks. It got more positive toward the U.S., they say, after Putin said last week that Russia didn't want the U.S. to lose the war.

washingtonpost.com:

That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion.

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