Russians likely to veto U.N. action on Iran, Afghanistan

Press, 8 January 1980, Page 6

Russians likely to veto U.N. action on Iran, Afghanistan

NZPA-Reuter

New York

The Soviet Union is expected to use its veto m the United Nations Security Council today, for the 113th time, to block a demand for the removal of its troops from Afghanistan.

The threat of a Soviet veto also hung over possible moves in the Security Council for sanctions against Iran for its failure to .free .the American hostages in the occupied United States Embassy in Teheran, The resolution on Afghanistan, tabled by Bangladesh, Niger,, the Philippines and Zambia, referred only to “foreign troops,” but diplomats said it was clear what it meant. The United States and Britain had wanted the Soviet Union mentioned by name but were satisfied with the compromise. Both the Soviet Union and Afghanistan argued during two days of debate that Soviet troops were sent to Afghanistan in response to a call for help under their mutual treaty and that this was in accordance with the United Nations Charter’s provision for individual and collective self-defence. But the resolution said “the recent, armed intervention in Afghanistan” was inconsistent with the United Nations Charter and it called for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the troops. Diplomatic sources said that in the event of a Soviet veto, the Philippines had instructions to invoke the “uniting for peace” procedure approved in November 1950, and call for a special session of .the General Assembly. The procedure was designed to confer peace-keep-ing responsibilities on the assembly when, the council was barred by a veto from adopting enforcement measures. ' , The sources said there was a good chance that a similar resolution could be adopted by the . General Assembly,' where no nation has veto power. . Donald McHenry, the United States representative, told the. council yesterday

that only by Moscow’s withdrawing Soviet troops from Afghanistan and allowing the Afghans to choose their own government, free from outside pressure, could “the grave threat to international peace and security created by the Soviet Union, , be diminished.”

The Russians now had up to 50,000 troops in Afghanistan and there -were indications other divisions, were moving into Kushka and Otermez on the Soviet--Afghan border, as. other Soviet troops moved out to secure other key towns, Mr McHenry said. He scoffed at Soviet claims that the Afghan leadership asked for military aid. Were they to believe that President Hafizullah Amin invited the Soviet troops in to oversee his own downfall and execution? Mr McHenry asked.

Or was it Babrak Karmal, Mr Amin’s Soviet-appointed successor,, who was not even in Afghanistan at the time, who'made the request? Mr McHenry said the facts were that over a period of months Soviets carefully planned to invade Afghanistan, because they were dissatisfied with the degree' of subservience of the Amin Government and its performance. against Muslim insurgents struggling for their rights. <

The Soviets then carried out their military operation; “quickly and brutally,” offering no recourse whatsoever to the authorities then in. power, and overthrowing the Amin government they previously supported, so as to install a puppet regime. Amin was executed only hours after his overthrow and his wife and family are, also reported to have been killed. M.-'-“The armed intervention of the Soviet : Union in Afghanistan and the presence of an uninvited occupation

force in that country is a gross and blatant violation of the most important principles of international law and of the United Nations Charter,” the United States delegate said. As for the Soviet claim to have acted under the collective self-defence provisions of article 51' of the Charter, this was “an insult to the intelligence of the members of the community of nations,” he said. On Iran, the Security Council approved a resolution last Monday serving notice that punitive measures would be taken unless the Iranian Government freed the United States captives within a week. < The Secretary-General (Dr Kurt Waldheim) who conferred in Washington yesterday with President Carter, was due to report later today on his three-day mission to Teheran last week. He was unable to see the country’s revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeiny, and said on his return that he did not know who was in charge in Iran. Diplomatic sources said Dr Waldheim was deeply offended by the treatment he received in Teheran, where the Iranians ..said his life was in danger. Dr' Waldheim said in a television interview yesterday that it might be months before the hostage problem was solved, In another United Nations development, the General Assembly was due to try again today to fill a final vacancy in the Security Council, now one short of its full complement. Neither Cuba nor Colombia, the contenders, received the necessary twothirds majority in 154 previous ballots, and diplomatic sources said they., might withdraw in favour of Mexico as a compromise candidate.