Soviet-led coup 'just like Prague 1968’

Press, 31 December 1979, Page 6

Soviet-led coup ' just like Prague 1968’

NZPA-Reuter New Delhi ) “The Russians are everywhere. They guard all the (strategic points in Kabul land are patrolling the | streets,” a traveller from Afghanistan said in New Delhi at the week-end. Passengers off the first commercial flight out of Kabul since Thursday’s So-viet-backed coup d’etat told of a lightning, well-organ-ised take-over. “The signa! came at 7 p.m. on Thursday evening with a loud explosion near the central telegraph office,” said a Frenchman, who asked not to be named. “Then heavy firing broke out with artillery, tanks, machine-guns. But it was all; over after about 34 hours,”) he said. The traveller said that on) the day before the coup he went to Kabul airport and saw huge Soviet transport planes landing at the rate of two a minute and disgorging troops and vehicles. At one stage they were landing at the rate of one every 30 sec-) ends.

“It was like Prague in. 1968. Suddenly there were; : Russians all over the place. I The people were glad to see) : the overthrow oi the pre-; vious leader, Hafizullah Amin. But they are also sad to see so many Russians : there now,” the Frenchman said. Nick Thomaidis, of Sydney, I Australia, was on his way home and missed his plane connection when in transit ’ in Kabul. “We were stuck for five days. At about 7 p.m. on ’ Thursday evening there was i a loud explosion. Then the fighting broke out. The ex- ■ plosion was quite clearly a signal. It blew one of the gates off its hinges at our ’ I hotel. | “Yesterday we saw jet ! I fighters over the city and ■ Russian troops at the airport I when we left today.” The French traveller said : that Russian troops were ; riding around Kabul at the ■ week-end in armoured per- : sonnel carriers with mach-iine-guns at the ready. He said Afghan civilians

i, in the streets looked on :(them in a daze. .! “The Russians are clearly s)in charge. You see Afghan •’troops, but they are mainly i in their barracks. I “My house was close to ► the presidential palace and i the telegraph office where some of the fighting took , place. I saw one tank burn'mg outside the telegraph : office for most of the night. . “The Russians are there in army strength. Talking with : ordinary Afghan people I i gathered they consider the > new regime worse than the : former one. But they are ■ glad that Amin is gone.” i The Press Trust of India : reported that Kabul was ■ quiet, but some disturbances were reported from Jalalat bad area about 150 km from I the capital on Friday and ; Saturday. The agency quoted inl formed sources in Delhi as ■ saying that troops loyal to : Mr Amin had resisted until • the end before the President ■ was put on trial on Thursday night and executed about 4 a.m. on Friday.