U.S. ACCURACY RULES RELAXED OVER KABUL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000100140005-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 2010
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: January 26, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100140005-2
MXTICLB_ AYPF
THE NEW YORK TIMES
26 January 1980
U.S. ACCURACY RULES
RELAXED OVER 'KABUL!
Since Soviet's Action; State Dept.
Seems Willing to Disseminate
Rumors as Well as Facts
By BERNARD GWERTZIMAN:
Special teThe New York Times
WASHINGTON. Jan. 25 -The State
Department spokesman, Nodding Carter
3d, said today that there were widespread
rumors in Kabul that President Babrak
Karmal, who was installed by the Soviet
Union, might soon be replaced by another
Soviet-backed Afghan politician.-
There was no way to check on" the. re-
port, which was offered by the spokes-
man at his regular news conference: in re-
sponse to a question about developments
in.Afghanistan, from which all American
correspondents were expelled last week.
. The spokesman is usually reluctant to
discuss political developments inside an-
other country and even more reticent to
publicize rumors. But the old rules have
been relaxed since the Soviet entry into
Afghanistan:
Now the State Department and White
-House routinely publicize information
about Afghanistan. received- here, even
when its authenticity is questionable.
Sometimes this is done by spokesmen and
sometimes by officials who request ano-
nymity.
U.S. Calls It Invasion . ".
The objective is to'underscore Wash-
ington's contention, which is shared by
most countries, that the Soviet Union in-
vaded Afghanistan, is occupying it and
has put Afghan "puppets" in charge.
Mr. Carter, asked about the situation in
Afghanistan,. said there were "rumors"
that Mr. Karmal was to be dismissed
soon for failing to enlist popular support
-or unify pro-Soviet: factions in the Gov-
ernment.'He. said there. were' rumors
about possible successors to Mr. Karmal,
but he declined to name them.:
The general American contention that
Mr. Karmal was placed in office by
Soviet forces seems indisputable. Mr.
Karmal was living in exile in Czechoslo-
vakia and only arrived in Kabul after a
coup, apparently carried out under Soviet
auspices, overthrew his predecessor,
Hafizullah Amin. Mr. Amin was killed.
The vanguard of the 85,000 Soviet
troops now said by American officials to
be in Afghanistan entered with the ap-
proval of Mr. Amin: American officials,)
including President Carter, refer to the)
entry as "an invasion:" . .
Nodding Carter often describes the,
Soviet activity in Afghanistan as an ex-
ample of Soviet "imperialism'" and "ag-
gression.-"
No Evidence for Statements
Jody Powell, the White House spokes-
man, once said that Soviet troops near
Herat, in western Afghanistan,. were on
the "historic invasion route to-Teheran,"
even though there was no evidence that,
Soviet forces were planning such action. - '
Earlier in the week, Hodding Carter
said that it was not possible to give an ac-
curate estimate of Soviet casualties, but!
that he had seen reports of about 2,M:
and that seemed "reasonable."
Yesterday, when asked if the Soviet;
Union had been using lethal chemicals in'
Afghanistan, Mr. Carter said the report
could not be verified but that it would be
"outrageous and inhumane" if it was so.
The result of these kinds of statements
is to produce accounts suggesting Soviet
actions for which the Administration it
self has no solid confirmation. - - ? i
Officials make no apologies for their
statements, asserting that -the Soviet
Union has made false statements about
the situation- in Afghanistan that must be
countered.. Yesterday, for example, Mr.
Carter was ppecificaT yIinsfructe
deny a Soviet charge t at re-sl enTKffR
h man agentt of the Central Intelli-
A- 7
gence gent .
esterday, at.a briefing forreport-
ers, a senior Administration oficial was
asked if-the United States,was aiding the
Afghan Insurgents.- . '
He.first refused to discuss the question
and then said he did not know..:-.,.
A reporter said it would ae quite a-
story'if was written that a senior aide -
"did not' know if covert 'assistance was
being given to Afghan-rebels." The offi-
cial smiled and said that the reporter was
wrong, that what he should write was that-
"the official. said he didn't- know," with
the emphasis on "said.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100140005-2