51.   Defense Minister Pavel Grachev, telling parliament the tragedy was caused by mistakes of the military leadership, said he was prepared to resign if asked.

52.   Dozens died in riots, and the coup revealed divisions in the military leadership.

53.   Earlier this year, he was relieved of his duties as deputy defense minister after he openly criticized the military leadership for botching the war in Chechnya.

54.   European Union foreign ministers on Monday extended for further six months a series of sanctions against Burma and called on the military leadership to improve human rights.

55.   Grachev, telling parliament the tragedy was caused by mistakes of the military leadership, said he was prepared to resign if asked.

56.   He blamed the problem on poor military leadership and promised to clean house.

57.   He said neither he nor the top military leadership attempted to estimate the size of the al-Qaida force there.

58.   He said the military leadership already has sufficient means to deal with any radical rightist problems.

59.   He said the NATO military leadership and the Russians were exchanging information and discussing how Russia could participate.

60.   He said the Yugoslav military leadership also was invited but did not come.