Big Soviet force still in Afghanistan

Press, 1 August 1986, Page 20

Big Soviet force still in Afghanistan

By

PAUL CORRIGAN

The world can only guess at what was in the mind of the Soviet leader, Mr Gorbachev, when he announced in Vladivostok on Monday that six Soviet Army regiments would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the year’s end. It would be interesting to know if he was pleased with the reaction his announcement got in the world’s news media. For offering so little he appears to have got a lot of coverage.

Mr Gorbachev’s offer concerned three anti-aircraft regiments, an armoured regiment, and two motor rifle (infantry) regiments. No distinction is made whether the anti-aircraft regiments are missile-firing formations (700 men) or gun units (400 men). In either case they are unsuitable for the kind of war the Soviets and their Kabul clients are having to fight in mountainous Afghanistan. As well, the guerrillas they are fighting are not known to have any aircraft. The armoured regiment is more substantial. It consists of 1000 men in three battalions and minor support units, totalling perhaps 100 main battle tanks. A battalion of self-propelled artillery might also be attached to the regiment. But the mountains and deep valleys of Afghanistan are not natural tank country like the

Russian steppes or the North German plain. The weakness of tanks has been highlighted in Afghanistan — ambushes from above, entrapment on narrow roads and passes, inability to manoeuvre freely. The two motor rifle regiments going home each consist of 2000 men in three infantry battalions (440 men each), a self-propelled artillery battalion, and a battalion of tanks, and minor support units such as engineers. Infantry have been used extensively in the war against the Afghan guerrillas. But these Soviet soldiers, mainly two-year conscripts doing their national service, have not adapted well.

Trained to fight offensive, mobile battles with tanks against North Atlantic Treaty Organisation armies, Moscow’s footsoldiers have often been nonplussed at having to deal with men fighting an entirely different kind of battle.

It is possible that these units will be withdrawn in November, when the Soviet Army rotates its troop units, and conscripts end their term of service.

According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies, Moscow has a force estimated at least at 115,000 stationed in Afghanistan. The Soviets have been there in strength since they intervened in the country’s af-

fairs on December 27, 1979, and installed Barbrak Karmal as President The Soviets and the Kabul regime have* been fiercely opposed by the Mujahideen, mainly Muslim mountain tribesman belonging to several groups.

Since the early years of their intervention the Soviets have had to change tack in dealing with the guerrillas, whom they call bandits. The conscripts have been used less. Special forces guerrilla-hunters have been sent Into the Afghan mountains instead.

They fight a guerrilla war against the guerrillas — hit-and-run raids, ambushes, sabotage, terror, and watching and listening for guerrilla movements.

The Soviets are relying more heavily on the helicopter to atthck the Mujahideen with rockets, cannon, and other weapons. The helicopters also carry airborne assault teams, exploiting their mobility advantage.

An air army of more than 250 combat aircraft, including the Soviets’ latest ground-attack type, the Sukhoi 25 “Frogfoot,” supports the war against the rebels. Mr Gorbachev said nothing about taking those forces home. It seems that, in sending home units that do not matter to the war, but keeping those essential to it, he has scored a small propaganda coup.