“Russia Tightens Grip On Afghanistan”

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28988, 1 September 1959, Page 17

“Russia Tightens Grip On Afghanistan”

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

WASHINGTON. August 30. While Chinese Communists probe the Himalayan defences of India, a few hundred miles to the west the Soviet Union is tightening its stranglehold on the strategic kingdom of Afghanistan, according to the British United Press. It said this was reported by United States officials who claimed that the Soviet Union now had virtual control of Afghanistan’s 50.000-man Army and small jet air force, and also was moving rapidly toward complete domination of the country’s economy. State Department officials cited Afghanistan as a dramatic, but little-publicised example of one of Communism’s greatest successes in all of its probing operations along the Red periphery from Turkey to Laos. The British United Press said almost 50 per cent, of Afghanistan’s foreign trade was now with the Soviet Union under long-term barter deals, compared with 10 per cent, in 1950 and about 18 per cent, in 1955.

The Afghan Army, armed with £25,000,000 worth of Russian military equipment, was being trained by Soviet officers, some of them generals. The Russians had provided Afghanistan with a jet Air Force consisting of 60 fighters and 12 bombers. Russian pilots were flying them.

Soviet economic aid to Afghanistan during the last four years, two-third of it in loans, was estimated at about £85,000,000. In addition, military aid was estimated at about £25,000.000.

The aid programme has provided Afghanistan with hydroelectric facilities, oil storage installations, airfields, highways, and a modern machine and metalworking plant. The Russians had put £5,000,000 into oil exploration and £1.800,000 into agricultural development and have established a radio-tele-phone circuit linking the Afghan capital, Kabul, with Moscow.

In addition to aid from the Soviet Union. Afghanistan had also received aid from Communist Czechoslovakia. This had had a considerable impact on a country of 13.000,000 people with ah average per capita income of less than £35, British United Press said. The news agency said the Russians were leaving no angle unexploited in their effort to make Afghanistan economically dependent on the Soviet Union. In addition to securing almost 50 per cent, of Afghanistan’s foreign trade under barter arrangements, the Soviet Union had channelled a considerable portion of the remainder through Russian ports instead of allowing it to pursue its normal route south through Pakistan and the port of Karachi. The Russians had induced the Afghans to use this much longer route across the Soviet Union by, in effect, subsidising the shipments.’ The Russians valued Afghan currency at almost four times its normal worth when it was used to pay goods charges across Russian territory. In addition, they guaranteed delivery within a specified time in Western Europe or New York.