FURTHER LENINGRAD REACTIONS TO AFGHANISTAN CRISIS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP96R01136R002605170060-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 15, 2010
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: February 25, 1980
• Content Type: CABLE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/07: CIA-RDP96RO1136R002605170060-3
PP RUEAIIB
ZNY CCCCC 20C STATE ZZH
TUTS158
PP RUEHC
DE RUFHLG 00762/01 0561543
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 2515402 FEB 80
FM AMCONSUL LENINGRAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5882.
INFO RUSBLK/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0020
RUEMMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCO 5895
8T
C O N F I D E N T I A L
LENINGRAD 00762 J
E.0.12065$ N/A
TAGS$ PEPRs MOPS, UR,-AF
SUBJECTS FURTHER LENINGRAD REACTIONS TO
AFGHANISTAN CRISIS
SUMMARYI INTEREST.' IN AFGHANISTAN CONTINUED TO
DOMINATE THE WEEKLY WORLD REVIEW OF THE LENINGRAD
ZNANIYE SOCIETY WITH THE SPEAKER OF FEBRUARY 23
MOVING TOWARD MORE OPEN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF
SUE?St,A:NTIAL INTERNAL AFGHAN OPPOSITION. INCLUDING
EMENTS OF THE AFGHAN ARMY=. HE AVCIDED CONFIRMING,
EL
BUT DID NOT DENY...RFPOFTS CITED BY A QUESTIONER
A
THAT 3,000 SOVIET SOLDIERS HAD BEEN KILLED.
SOVIET CONTACT OF THE CONGEN MET A?RETURNED
SOLDIER FROM AFGHANISTAN WHO CLAIMED THAT HALF
OF HIS DIVISION HAD BEEN WIPEDZUT-IN THE FIRST
FEW WEEKS OF FIGHTING,,THAT A FRIEND OF HIS
HAD LEG BURNS FROM GAS, AND THAT RELATIONS BETWEEN
SOVIET OFFICERS AND ENLISTED MEN WERE VERY BAD.
ANOTHER SOVIET CONTACT SAYS THAT IN LENINGRAD
PARTY CIRCLES IT IS BEING SAID THAT THE REFERENCE
IN BREZHNEV'S FEBRUARY 22 NOMINATION SPEECH TO
THE POSSIBILITY OF UNDERSTANDING U.S. NEED FOR
SECURE OIL SUPPLY ROUTES, HAS THE BASIS FOR SOME
SORT OF COMPROMISE WITH THE U.S. END SUMMARY.
2. ZNANIYE SOCIETY LECTURER ON THE "WORLD MILITARY
POLITICAL SITUATION" FEBRUARY 23RD MADE FOLLOWING
POINTS IN CONTEXT OF PRESENTATION DEVOTED TO
EXPLAINING THE SOVIET DECISION TO INTERVENE IN
AFGHANISTAN AND TO BLAMING THE U.S. FOR CURRENT
US-SOVIET TENSIONS:
..SPEAKER VOLUNTEERED THAT SITUATION OF AFGHANISTAN IS
"EXTREMELY COMPLEX" WITH TROUBLE FROM SOME OF THE
"HIGHLY UNEDUCATED" REL:IGIOWS.INCLINEDPOPULATION
INCLUDING PARTS OF THE AFGHAN ARMY.
..ME HEDGED, BUT DID NOT DENY FIGURE OF 3#000
DEATHS AMONG SOVIET TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN
CITED BY QUESTIONER.
-..SPEAKER `OPENLY SPOKE iCF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
VOTE ON AFGHANISTAN ("106 COUNTRIES VOTED AGAINST
US.") SAYING THAT. DESPITE THIS. THE USSR HAD NO
CHOICE BUT TO SEND ITS-TROOPS INTO-AFGHANISTAN.
25X1
_25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/07: CIA-RDP96RO1136R002605170060-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/07: CIA-RDP96RO1136R002605170060-3
CONFIDENTIAL
STATE
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3. A SOVIET CONTACT WIC IS HOSTILE TO-THE USSR'S
INVITATION OF AFGHANISTAN PROVIDED THE GIST OF
RETURNEDSFROMNTHERE.D HWIITSHDEA HAD
CONVERSATION. WHICH HE WROTE DOWN FOR SECURITY
REASONS. WAS AS FOLLOWS: "THIS YOUNG MAN CAME
FROM AFGHANISTAN NOT L!CNG AGO. HE SAYS THAT
THE SOLDIERS AND OFFICERS ARE IN A VERY BAD MOOD*
EVERYTHING IS VICIfCUS AND DEPRESSING. OFFICERS
WHO REMEMBER THE SECOND WORLD WAR SAY IT WAS NOT
THIS TERRIBLE. HE SAID THAT NEW TROOPS WILL BE
THROWN IN THERE. AN AMERICAN RIFLE FELL INTO
THEIR HANDS. AN OFFICER TOLD THEM,THAT IT WAS A
VERY EXPENSIVE RIFLE ANC WE DO NOT HAVE THIS
KIND (THE SIGHT COSTS 90 ROUBLES). IT SHOOTS FROM
19000 METERS JUST AS WELL AS IT DOES FROM FIVE*
4. ON HIS LEGS WERE BR;CWN SPOTS (KICRICHNEVYE
PYATNA). THERE HAD BEEN HOLES IN HIS UNIFORM AND
THESE WERE THE TRACES CF GAS. AND MOREOVER. THEIR
DIVISION ARRIVED IN AFGHANISTAN IN.THE END OF
DECEMBER AND IN THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY THERE REMAINED
ONLY HALF OF THE DIVISI'CN. ONE OF?HIS FRIENDS WAS
KILLED BY A BULLET WITH A SHIFTING CENTER OF
GRAVITY (PRESUMABLY A TUMBLER AS IN THE M-16)9
THE BULLET WENT IN . &T ,HIS STOMACH AND "CUT THROUGH
HIS THROAT. DESPITE ALL OF THIS. HE UNDERSTOOD
THAT WE ARE THE AGGPESSCRS. HE SAYS THAT IT IS
A SECOND CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND EVEN WORSE. HE SPOKE
THIS WAYS THEY (THE AFGHANS) KILLiCFFICERS. THE
FACT IS THAT WITH US?.SCLDIERS FIERCELY HATE
OFFICERS. THIS PART ABOUT KILLINGICFFICERS HE
TOLD WITH SATISFACTION. MANY OFFICERS WERE KILLED
BY THEIR OWN MEN (THIS=HE TOLD ME.t). HE ALSO
SAIDTHAT WHAT L THE OF ITTI'ISSTRSAY -0 UE*" BBC*
OF GERMANY--
S. FOR WHAT IT'S WORTHS ONE LENINGRAD CONTACTS A
PARTY MEMBER. WENTTO;SCME LENGTHS TOtPURSUADE A
CONGENOFF THAT THE PART OF CHAIRMAN BREZHNEV'S
FEBRUARY 22 SPEECH WHICH SHOULD BEiREAD WITH
PARTICULAR ATTENTION IS THAT IN WHICH HE MENTIONED
SECURITY OF U.S. OIL SUPPLY ROUTES. THE QUOTE
IS AS FOLLOWS: IN WASHINGTON, THEY LOVE TO TALK
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE SECTION 02 OF:02 LENINGRAD 00762
ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF ENSURING THE SECURITY OP
US OIL SUPPLY ROUTES. IT IS POSSIBLE IN A WAY
TO UNDERSTAND THIS. (ETC YESHCHE KAK-TO MOZHNO
PONYAT')" THIS CONTACT APPEARED-CONVINCED
THAT THIS WAS SOMEHOW A BASIS FOR FUTURE US-
SOVIET UNDERSTANDING.
6. COMMENT. THE ZNANIYE SOCIETY SPEAKER PRESENTED
A VIEW OF SOVIET INVOLVEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN AND ITS
PRICE WHICH IS THE MOST SERIOUS WE HAVE HEARD
TO DATE. THE GROWING ADMISSION OF10PPOSITION B AS ITGWEAKENSNTMHEIR ARGUMENT THAT SOEVIEAUTTFORHORITCEISES
WERE SENT IN RESPONSE TO CALLS FOR SUPPORT FROM
A NEIGHBORING PEOPLE FOR RRAASSISTANCE hAGAINSTTOUTSIDE
IMPERIALISTS FORCES.
RUMOR MILL FED BY STORIES SUCH AS,THE ONE
RECOUNTED ABOVE. AND FURTHER REINFORCED
BY THE FOREIGN "VOICES" HAS HAD,AN EFFECT IN
CONFIDENTIAL
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/07: CIA-RDP96RO1136R002605170060-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/07: CIA-RDP96RO1136R002605170060-3
CONFIDENTIAL
STATE
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EDUCATING LENINGRADERS ABOUT THE EXTENT AND
PRICE OF THE INVASION AND IN FORCING AGITPROP
APPARATCHIKI" TO ACKNOWLEDGE
SOME OF THE REALITIES. CRUMP
END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/03/07: CIA-RDP96RO1136R002605170060-3