ALERT MEMORANDUM ON USSR-AFGHANISTAN (U)

Created: 9/14/1979

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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9

MEMORANDUM FOR: The National Security Council

Alert Memorandum on USSR-Afghanistan (U)

The Soviet leaders may be on the thresholdecision to cowoit their own forces to prevent the collapse of the Taraki regime and protect their sizable stake in Afghanistan. Small Soviet combat units may already have arrived in the country. a concerned that the Soviets may be underestimating the difficulties of shoring up the regime and may find themselves under growing pressures to escalate the scope ofhe next few months. Moreover, the Soviets may now be more Inclined to gambleubstantial interventionfghanistan because of their perceptionownturn in relations with the US and thtprospects for Senate approval of the SALT treaty.

raded to when caveats are en separated from

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