RUSSIA REFUSES TO DROP IRAN NUKE DEAL

Russia refused to cancel itssale of nuclear reactorsto Iran, despite Defense Secretary William Perry's warning during talks in Moscow today thatthe dealcould enable Iran to build a nuclear weapons arsenal. Perry said that while Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin assured him that Russia will make sure Iran does not use plutonium from the reactors to manufacture weapons, the U.S. is not confident that Russia can do so. TIME senior editor George Russell says Russia sees Iran as a "major ideological threat," a key Muslim power with links to Muslims in the southern tier of the former Soviet Union who are disenchanted with Moscow. Russia "may be trying to buy Iran off," or else form a stronger diplomatic bond in order to keep a closer eye onTehran.