Russians denounce U.S. arms-supply charges as ‘a lie’

Press, 27 February 1981, Page 6

Russians denounce U.S. arms-supply charges as ‘a lie’

NZPA-Reuter Moscow The Soviet Union h&s denied United States charges that it is supplying arms to Leftwing guerrillas in El. Salvador and said there is not a single Soviet soldier or adviser in the Central American country. . Leonid Zamyatin, head of the Communist Party Central Committee’s international information department, said documents produced by White House officials earlier this week as proof that Moscow had delivered arms to El Salvador were a lie. “The Soviet Union has not supplied arms to El Salvador and is not doing so,” he told a press conference. Mr Zamyatin was speaking during a break from the twenty-sixth Soviet Communist Party Congress, which earlier heard a strong attack on Washington by the Afghan President (Mr Babrak Karmal). Referring to the Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan 15 months ago, Mr Karmal thanked Moscow for its assistance at a time when “the question of life or death of our motherland and our revolution was being decided.” He-said: “If not for the help of the Soviet Union there would be no revolutionary, free, independent ■ and non-aligned Afghanistan today.” . . ' - . Mr Karmal, who was given a standing ovation, described the United States as “cruel international terrorists.” ' Although there were .no significant references to Poland during yesterday’s ses-

sion, the first two days-.of the congress suggested differing views among Communist bloc leaders on how to deal with the situation. Western analysts said there seemed a strong contrast between the Moscow view of the situation as set out by the Soviet leader, Leonid Brezhnev, and an assessment delivered by Polish party chief, Stanislaw Kania. Mr Brezhnev reminded Warsaw that the Soviet Union and its other allies were on hand to help Poland where, he said, the pillars of the socialist State were threatened and anti-socialists supported from aboard were stirring up anarchy . Mr Kania said his party was winning growing, support among Poles for its efforts to overcome the crises and expressed thanks for what he said was Soviet faith that Poland could solve its problems independently. In Eastern Europe, only Rumania has declared that Poland should be allowed to handle the crises on its own. The Rumanian leader,. Nicolae Ceaucescu, has intimated his country would oppose any Soviet military action. ‘ But references to the Polish problem by the Cuban leader,. ./Fidel Castro, nam’s party chief, Le Duan, and indirectly by President Gustav Husak of Czechoslovakia emphasised alleged Western efforts to subvert Poland and split it from the Communist camp. The text of Mr Kania’s speech, his first outside his

own country since he took over the party leadership from the now disgraced Mr Gierek last September, showed he expressed strong conviction he could lead Poland out of the crisis unaided. He told the 4994 Soviet delegates and leaders of Left-wing governments, parties, and movements from 109 countries in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses: “We have enough patience to last until all honest Poles and all patriots support the line of the party.’’ In Bonn, West Germany has welcomed two of President Brezhnev’s disarmament offers made earlier .this week at the congress but snubbed his proposal for a

freeze on medium-range missiles in Europe. A Cabinet policy statement said Bonn welcomed Mr Brezhnev’s readiness to pursue arms control talks with the United States and especially his offer to extend military, confidence-building measures to all European Soviet territory. ' But it made clear that West Germany regarded his suggestion that the Soviet Union and the United States agree to a moratorium on medium-range missile deployment as a non-starter. The Government said that the proppsal fell short of Mr Brezhnev’s offer in 1979 to cut back on SS2O missiles in the western Soviet Union so long as North Atlantic Treaty Organisation refrained from siting more nuclear warheads in Western Europe.