Russian moves in Afghanistan

Press, 26 February 1980, Page 16

Russian moves in Afghanistan

Sir, — So the Government has taken action against the Soviets for invading Afghanistan. I am sorry, I must have missed it. And the Americans? Apart from pollseason posturing, nothing much from them either. But anyway, why bother? The Americans have never before regarded it as a strategic area. And even now it offers only a convenient chance for; making friends with Muslims. Afghanistan has long had one of -the lowest percapita incomes in the world, one of the mainstays of their economy being the dol-lar-a-kilo hashish hawked to Western wanderers. If the Soviets can afford to inject a bit of badly needed foreign currency through the broth-, els of Kabul, good luck £<j them. — Yours, etc.,FRANK C. KING. February 21, 1980.

Sir, — The idyllic picture of the' presence of United States and British troops in West Germany and Western Europe painted by D. J. O’Rourke (February 22) contradicts historical fact. United States and British occupation of Western Europe has been continuous since the invasion Of Europe on June 6, 1944. The Western European populace has never been, consulted on this matter. West Germany is a puppet-state created; by the occupying powers, the United States, Britain and France in contravention of the agreements of the Potsdam Conference. The comparison of the North Atlantic Treaty and the SovietAfghanistan Treaty is not ludicrous as D.„J. O’Rourke claims. Special pleading on behalf of the North Atlantic Treaty’s supposed superior political morality is quite beside the point that both treaties have the same material existence and / relevance, the same legal force and 1 equal international validity, the futile, empty gesture of the ’ United 'Nations General Assembly vote not*

withstanding. — Yours, etc., M. CREEL. February 23, 1980.