March 24, 1999

Bill Clinton
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

Enclosed is an open letter from a group of scholars, business people, journalists and others deeply concerned about the U. S. role in Russia's crippled transition to democracy and a free market economy.

The signatories to the letter feel that the time is upon us for active scrutiny and self-appraisal. Further assistance must be substantial, effective and accountable. It must make sense to the U.S. It must make sense to Russia. In spite of the cancellation of Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov's visit to Washington, a constructive dialogue must go on.

Russia must be considered for IMF loans, as well as the inclusion in the program of debt forgiveness recently proposed by you. Those Russians suffering now are innocent with no means of escape from the grinding poverty. The very survival of Russia as a distinct civilization and a major contributor to the cultural "biodiversity" of the planet is at stake. Anyone who has studied Russian history knows that Russians will survive. And they will remember how the West treated them.

We do not pretend to know all the answers to the Russian crisis. But we find the current U. S. Russia policy essentially flawed and in need of speedy revision.