Gorbachev urges 'glasnost' in New Mexico

Santa Fe, N.M. -- Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, during an appearance in Santa Fe, N.M., Monday, worried that the United States appeared "at war with the world."

"It is my impression that America, judging by its military budget, seems to be almost at war with the world," Gorbachev told a news conference prior to a speaking engagement.

He said a U.S. arms buildup would undermine efforts to reduce the worldwide arsenal of nuclear weapons, and called for a "global glasnost," referring to the relatively calm relations between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Gorbachev, 77, also said he was troubled by what he saw as a lack of cooperation between the United States and its allies, and urged the U.S. public to pressure Washington and China to reduce global warming, the Albuquerque Journal said.

The Santa Fe New Mexican said Gorbachev was warmly received in the resort city, particularly by startled conference attendees who had no idea he was in town but saw him up close as he worked the crowd in the hotel lobby.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.