Afghanistan
Sir, — Your reprint from the “Economist” (September 27) continues to demonstrate Right-wing bias that needs qualification. The Russian record in Afghanistan is reprehensible. But the facts given in the article do not back up the thesis that Afghanistan’s newsworthiness is comparable to United States actions in Vietnam or El Salvador. Whereas the Russians have lost 5000 men in Afghanistan, the Americans lost 56,000 in Vietnam. Whereas perhaps 90,000 civilians have died in Afghanistan, millions died in IndoChina; in El Salvador (“Time” magazine, May 9,1983) “Right-wing security forces are killing civilians at the rate of 100 a week, down from a peak of 250 in 1980.” All statistics are relative. The “Economist” article, like recent deaths of 269 people on the Korean airliner, needs to be put in perspective. Neither the U.S.SJR., nor the Americans and their allies, are guiltless. — Yours, etc., WARREN THOMSON, Peace spokesperson, N.Z. Values Party. September 28, 1983.
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Press, 30 September 1983, Page 16
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152Afghanistan Press, 30 September 1983, Page 16
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