MARTIAL LAW DECLARED AFTER KABUL VIOLENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000303590013-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: February 23, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303590013-9
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Washlnzton_Poat Foreign Servicr
THE WASHINGTON POST
23 February 1980
Afghanistan's Soviet-installed government'. declared;
martial law-in the capital, Kabul, yesterday- amid the.
eruption of large anti-Soviet demonstrations-and recur-:
rent shooting, according to reports. from the Afghan city:
Three, civilians ,were. reported killed. in shooting on
Kabul's streets, but there were no other details of their.
deaths.
Accounts 'of the latest developments. in Afghanistan
were geperally sketchy, but a compilation of diplomatic -
and news service reports from Kabul, Washington, Mos-,
cow, New Delhi and Islamabad, Pakistan, painted a pic-
ture of mounting popular resistance in the capital .to the
Soviet military occupation and the Moscow-backed
Afghan government. The demonstrations were believed
to have been the first major public protests since Afghan
communists first took power in April 1978.
In announcing martial law, the eight-week-old Afghan
government of President Babrak Karmal- ordered all res=.
idents of Kabul to turn in unauthorized weapons within
24 hours, prohibited gatherings of
more than four persons and clamped
a stricter overnight curfew on the
\ State Department spokesman said
,lhe=e was a Robert Lee who was a , rt- I
vate American citizen looking fora
teaching jog in Kabul. he termed the
r aide t iat ee was.a a agen
ci?
d:ciiloils. e soo e :pan sal t e
a-
partment had no
t0n:irmatlon
of
Eeee s arrest, .but.
tad no reason
to
doubt it.
About 60 private- americans?are
knoWn to. he living ire Afghanistan in
addition io-about_20- U.S.' staffers 'at
the American' Embassy:}n-I4abul.
The spokesman said there had been
no reported dificultigs ,_airiorg the
American?,? residents--in- Afghanistan.
but he said-,they'ii;ere advised -to stay
at home.
The State Department said that So-
viet reinforcements seat to help main-
tain control. of K-3bul ..had-"at, least"
.fired near or-over rP:rionstrating'Af-
ghan' crowds. A department'official
said - the distrihubances. had ? not- yet
been. brou ght under control and that
shooting,' and"'the chanting of anti-
slogans, continued after night-
Ja11 yesterday.
I
In a-'statement'broadcast-by--Kabul
radio and.,'repurted', =Tass- --the
Afghan--Interior-,.Ministry- saict?British,
American '. Paki~tan-if-'aria "Chineset
"mercenaries" had resorted to ripen(
instigatoryr and:subvershe-actions in
Kabul; tryinG.to disFtipt:tranquil,ty. of
the uty.
The statement said that they Afghan
government was striving to:retent
these .incendiar'y actions and pre
serve- '`democraEio-nouns;'r:but-thatthe~
mercenar~iea openly- engaged-in. "plon
der and arson." .
In Kabul,= there were:-indications
that the .copimunist authorities fear
the possible spread of civil disobedi-
ence to government employes. Accord-
ing to the State Department, the offf-
cial Kabul radio in its martial law an
nouncement ordered- ciYA sexyants to
vices.:
Tars identified the American only. V
city.
Soviet troops and` armored per-
sonnel carriers were 'reportedly sent
into the capital and stationed around
key government buildings: Soviet hel
icopters and jet-fighter planes flew
low over the city, according to re-
ports from foreign residents there.
"The situation is very, very volatile,`State Department spokesman Thomas '
Reston said. The department had're-.
ceived reports of "considerable firin
in Kabul yesterday as what he describ-
ed,as a nationwide general. strike en-'
tered its second day.
In Moscow, the Sovit. hews agency
Tass said Afghanistan's =secret police
yesterday-,arrested a laige group of
persons; -i i 1uding ;an American 'and
-.16 Pakistanis;on?charges?of working,
to subvert: the zgovernment - under
'orders frorri?,foreign..intelligence._ser
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303590013-9
STAT