Russian President Boris Yeltsin, in a letter to President Clinton, indicated that Moscow had anti-satellite weapons and condemned U.S. efforts to develop such a program, The Washington Times reported Friday.

"We are alarmed at the U.S. military's intention to develop a whole gamut of anti-satellite weapons systems," according to the newspaper, which said it obtained a copy of the six-page letter."At one time we possessed an anti-satellite capability. We renounced it as soon as we realized the futility a first-strike notion."

White House spokesman Michael McCurry would not go into details about the letter, saying such correspondence is classified.

In the copy of the letter, labeled "unofficial translation," Yeltsin proposed a new round of U.S.-Russian talks to curb anti-satellite weapons.

But, he added, "we should not allow the development of new military technologies that can undermine strategic stability."

Yeltsin's letter was in response to a letter Sept. 8 from Clinton, the newspaper said.

Last month, the Pentagon fired a laser at an orbiting Air Force satellite. Neither the satellite nor its target point - an infrared camera - was damaged or disabled.

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