TASS: JOURNALIST DEATH 'SEQUAL' TO U.S. 'COVERT' DRA POLICY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96R01136R002605120013-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 8, 2010
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: October 1, 1985
• Content Type: CABLE

It Approved For Release 2010/11/08: CIA-RDP96R01136R002605120013-0
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TASS: JOURNALIST DEATH 'SEQUAL' TO U.S. 'COVERT' DRA POLICY
LD012151
MOSCOW TASS IN ENGLISH 2105 GMT 1 OCT 85
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Approved For Release 2010/11/08: CIA-RDP96R01136R002605120013-0
 Approved For Release 2010/11/08: CIA-RDP96RO1136R002605120013-0
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(("VICTIM OF WASHINGTON'S POLICY" -- TASS HEADLINE))
((TEXT)) MOSCOW OCTOBER 1 TASS -- TASS POLITICAL NEWS ANALYST
ASKOLD BIRYUKOV WRITES:
CHARLES THORNTON, THE 50-YEAR OLD U.S. JOURNALIST FROM
THE CITY OF PHOENIX (ARIZONA), WHO INGLORIOUSLY LAID DOWN HIS LIFE
IN AFGHANISTAN, WILL NEVER RISE FROM HIS OWN ASHES LIKE THE
MYTHICAL BIRD PHOENIX. AS A CORRESPONDENT OF THE NEWSPAPER
"ARIZONA REPUBLIC", THORNTON LEFT THE CITY OF QUETTA, NEAR
PAKSITAN'S NORTH-WESTERN BORDER, A MONTH AGO AND WITH GANGS OF
AFGHAN COUNTERREVOLUTIONARIES SNEAKED INTO AFGHANISTAN HEADING
FOR THE AREA OF THE CITY OF QANDAHAR, FRANCE PRESSE NEWS AGENCY
REPORTS. BUT BANDITS, INFILTRATED INTO AFGHANISTAN FROM
PAKISTAN ON U.S. MONEY, ARE KNOWN TO ENCOUNTER EFFECTIVE
STRIKES FROM THE PEOPLE'S ARMED FORCES. THORNTON AND THREE
OTHER AMERICANS DID NOT ESCAPE THIS LOT.
IT WAS EXACTLY NEAR QANDAHAR THAT THE UNINVITED GUESTS MET
WITH THE CRUSHING FIRE OF THE AFGHAN ARMED FORCES, WHICH KILLED
THORNTON AND WOUNDED ONE MORE U.S. JOURNALIST WHO, LIKE THORNTON,
HAD LEFT FOR AFGHANISTAN IN SEARCH OF SENSATIONAL REPORTS
FROM THAT COUNTRY.
THORNTON'S DEATH IS DIRECT SEQUEL TO THE POLICY OF COVERT
AND OPEN INTERFERENCE, INCLUDING MILITARY ONE, IN THE AFFAIRS OF
THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN, PURSUED BY WASSHINGTON.
BABRAK KARMAL, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE
PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF AFGHANISTAN AND CHAIRMAN OF THE
REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN
(DRA), SAID THE OTHER DAY IN KABUL THAT THE UNITED STATES HAD
SET ASIDE 600 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE UNDECLARED WAR AGAINST THE
DRA IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS IN ADDITION TO A BILLION DOLLARS
ALREADY SPENT ON THESE ENDS. THESE DOLLARS BRING DEATH AND
DESTRUCTION TO THE AFGHAN PEOPLE.
BEING NOT CONTENT WITH THE TRAINING OF MURDERERS AND SABOTEURS
FOR BANDIT RAIDS IN THE DRA IN SPECIAL CAMPS IN PAKISTANI TERRITORY
AND THE SHIPMENT OF WEAPONS TO THEM, THE WASHINGTON ADMINISTRATION IS
BUSY STEPPING UP THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE AGAINST AFGHANISTAN, IN
WHICH USE IS MADE OF MASS MEDIA BOTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE
NATO COUNTRIES, WHICH IS NOTORIOUS FOR ITS TASTE FOR
SENSATIONS. THE U.S. CONGRESS HAS RECENTLY PASSED THE BILL
AUTHORIZING THE RELEASE OF HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO THE U.S.
INFORMATION AGENCY (USIA), THE KEY ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL
WARFARE, CONDUCTED BY WASHINGTON, FOR TRAINING AFGHAN
COUNTERREVOLUTIONARIES IN METHODS OF BLACK PROPAGANDA.
THIS INTERFERENCE IS GAINING INSCOPE. THE "FREE AFGHANISTAN
RADIO" SUBVERSIVE RADIO STATION STARTED BROADCASTING ITS ANTI-AFGHAN
PROGRAMMES FROM TODAY. AS EXPECTED, THESE PROGRAMMES INVOLVED FROM
THE START A POORELY FRAME-UP FALSEHOOD WHICH WAS IMMEDIATELY REFUTED
BY KABUL RADIO.
IN DISREGARD FOR THE SOLIDARITY WITH THE AFGHAN TERRORISTS,
DEMONSTRATED BY WASHINGTON, AND THE GROWING U.S. AID TO THE AFGHAN
COUNTERREVOLUTIONARIES, WITH WHOSE HANDS THE UNDECLARED WAR IS
BEING WAGED, THE DRA PEOPLE GIVES A BEFITTING REBUFF TO THEIR OUTSIDE
AND INTERNAL ENEMIES.
Approved For Release 2010/11/08: CIA-RDP96RO1136R002605120013-0