SPOT COMMENTARY: SOVIET REACTION ON AFGHANISTAN

Created: 1/5/1980

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY NATIONAL FOREIGN ASSESSMENT CENTER

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SPOT COMMENTARY: Soviet Reaction on Afghanistan

The initial TASS corrmentary on the President's speech dateMnedtakes the line that the measures adopted by the US to curtail US-Sov1et relations are cold-war tools whichflagrant violation of US ccermitmentselations with the USSR." TASS charges that "US rulino circles and their accomplices" are creating threats to peace by the "aggressive militaryof the foreign policy course" which they have adopted.

The TASS list of the "unilateral" measures Washington has adoptedthe decision to defer Senate consideration of SALT II, the reduction of grain imports, and the postponement of cultural and scientific andcontacts, butoes not mention the amount of grain that will not be sold, or the curtailment of fisheries activities and the embargo on high technology exports.

The article also betrays Moscow concern about the US effort to arouse Muslim and Iranian ire over Soviet actions in Afghanistan. In an effort to curry favor with the Iranians it charges that the President said nothing about Iran s legitimate demand" for the extradition of the Shah and the return of Iranian assets nowS banks.

Today's Pravda, meanwhile, carried what probably will become the orin-Clpftl Soviet propaganda defense of their actions in Afqhanistan. In an article signed by V. Svetlov, the Soviets accuse Washington ofouble standard whenondemns the USSR for using armed force to protect its interests. "When Washington throws tens of thousands of soldiers from one end of the world to another, itortrayed as an act defending peace, butimited Soviet contingent responds to the numerous requests of the Afghan Government for support against aggressive forces Iteen as Invasion.11

The arltcle makes It appear that the UShe primary source ofto the presententionedelatively mild on the Pakistanis, suggesting that "itot too late" for Pakistan to react constructively to Afghanistan's appeal for friendly Another Soviet media corrment on Pakistani reaction professes to see little tnthuslasmakistan for recent offers of US military assistance, but goes on tc warn Islamabad that accepting US aid "may well prompt neighboring

Cont'd

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DECL sSevv/anuaryF3QM Multiple

countries to doubt Pakistan's peaceful intentions andew spiral of the arms racehe region."

Pakistan has rejected coi motanistan border and move Afghan

Meanwhile, Soviet demarche

refugee camps farther Into the interior of Pakistan.

Sources: NCLASSIFIED

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Original document.

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