pstuartb - in diplomatic parlance, "dismissed as conjecture" is hardly an outright denial..."Belarus dismissed as conjecture on Monday a newspaper report saying Iraqi President Saddam Hussein might seek refuge in the ex-Soviet state if driven into exile."
I have maintained for weeks (see earlier post) that we will not be going to war. This is a high-stakes game, but I think the outcome will be a peaceful resolution, and it will make more sense for a small country like Belarus to grant asylum than for Russia to do so. We shall see.