U.S. ACCURACY RULES RELAXED OVER KABUL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000101020062-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2010
• Sequence Number: 62
• Publication Date: January 26, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000101020062-1
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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 GWERTZMAN
Spatial toTM New York Ttmea
WASHINGTON Jan. 25--.The State
Department spokesman, Hodding Carter
3d, said today that there werewidespread
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 I
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. Garter, asked about the situation in
Afghanistan, said there were "rumors"
that Mr. Karmal was to be dismissed
soon for failing to enlist popular support
nor unify pro-Soviet factions 'inv the Gov-
ernment.-He. said there were? rumors
about possible successors to Mr. Karmal,
but he declined to name them.:__p
The general American contention at'
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
entryas"an invasion:"
Hodding Carter often describes thei
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 2,000'
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. specifica y: ? instructed - to
deny aSoviiet c aroe that resident Amin. j .
h man agent o t e antral Intelli-
gen ME _~ gene
yesterday, at a briefing for- report-
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 make quite a-
storyif'was written-that a senior aide-
"did' not- know if covert "assistance was
being given to Afghan- rebels." The of ti
cial?smiled-and said that the reporter was.
wrong, that what be should write was that-
':'the official: said her didn't- know,!' with--
the emphasis on "said.-
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000101020062-1