g force, opposed by the people and the army! This

as directly in line with the Carter-Brzezinski plot to
ietMansfer world attention from U.S. imperialism’s
*Nreat to Iran and the whole Mideast.

_ The picture that emerged from our own direct
servance and numerous talks with Afghans, high
a low, was entirely different. First of all, Kabul was
Quiet. There were no clashes, not even an angry ex-
| ae The only voices we heard raised were those of
{Merchants in the bazaars.

No Soviet personnel were visible. One saw traffic
lice more often than one saw Afghan soldiers —
‘me of whom were stationed at critical parts of the
ity. Outside the city, some eight or so miles away,

viet troops had taken up strictly defensive posi-
ions, pointing toward the faraway Pakistan border.
of \long with their Afghan comrades, they took up posi-
ions also on the mountains to make sure nobody unin-
ited would decide to come to this country which

ants, more than anything else in the world, peace

d security with which to deal with its many internal
j(2roblems. :

+ . Foreign correspondents deliberately read mark-
; gs on Afghan tanks and other vehicles as Soviet. In

me instances, they had been Soviet, but had been
onated or sold to the Afghans and the old markings
till remained. There were also Soviet vehicles — but
nly in defensive areas and pointed to the route of the

ssible invader. :

pl

During our days there, reports kept.coming in ~

ref :
ipj Merchant selis

down and had pledged support to the Karmal gov-
t.

aenial’s proclamation in the very first days of
the new government of auniversal amnesty had had a
great effect upon the people, who saw in that action —
and later Karmal’s visit to the mosque to mourn for
the murdered victims — the new government’s true
intentions. Publication of the new program, and word
that a new constitution was being drawn up, helped
enormously to allay suspicions, especially of the
clergy and small businessmen, that the Karmal gov-
ernment would in any case pursue the same ends in
the same way that the Amin group had pursued.

The new program listed these points:

e Democratic land reforms would be im-
plemented in the interest of the toiling farmers. Land
reclamation programs would be instituted. A pro-

- gram of irrigation and a solution of the grazing prob-

Jem was promised.

e Abolition of the old feudal and pre-feudal rela-
tions.

e Adoption of measures to ensure that domestic
and foreign trade be conducted in the interests of the
people.

e Strengthening of the public sector of the eco-
nomy with scientific planning and other measures.

e Democratization of social life in the state ma-
chinery. —

e Rejection of the new influences of colonial im-

perialism and those related to it in.various spheres. —

e Democratic solution of the national issue.

e Weeding out from the state machinery anti-
revolutionary, anti-democratic elements.

e Strengthening and building “‘of the national lib-
eration and heroic army of the Democratic Republic
of Afghanistan which defends the revolution and its
results; ensuring of full and just rights to patriotic
officers and soldiers in particular, the right of wide
participation, without discrimination and privilege,

- shoulder to shoulder with all patriots, in the life and

political activities of the country.”

e Guaranteeing democratic rights for all, includ-
ing workers, peasants, officers and soldiers, patriotic
clergy, toiling nomads, small and medium classes

and strata, i.e., businessmen and national entre-
preneurs.

e Promul gation and acquisition of all democratic
laws ... and abrogation of all laws and regulations

_ and disbanding of all institutions which contradict the

aspirations and the principles of the revolution of Saur
Seventh, 1357 (April, 1978).
e Ensuring of the equality of rights of women with

* men in all social, economic, political, cultural and

civil aspects.

e Democratic solution of the nomad issue.

e Protection of domestic industries and produc-
tion against the.foreign competition of products and

- encouragement, protection, control and guidance of

private investments in industries and small and
medium-sized enterprises.

e Expansion of economic relations and technical
cooperation with friendly countries.

idfN

Daily World file photo

Babrak Karmal

e Fundamental review of the revenues and ex-
penditures of the state budget in the interest of pro-
duction, education, health, construction and public .
well-being.

© Review of the taxation system in the country in
the direction of the reduction of indirect taxes and
increase of direct graduated taxes.

e Fixing and control of prices at necessary levels
in the interest of the people.

e Ensuring universal, compulsory, free primary
education to all children of school age and creation of
all essential provisions for effective struggle against
illiteracy.

e Expansion of free intermediate, high and voca-
tional education.

e Creation of a progressive national cultural sys-
tem, ensuring the evolution of art and literature, edu-
cation and publication in the mother tongues of tribes
and nationalities resident in Afghanistan.

e Ensuring free health services, elimination of
various diseases. S

e Elimination of all forms of despotism, unem-

ployment and illiteracy, bribery and red tape, hoard-
ing, usury, smuggling, prostitution, gambling and
addiction to alcohol, hashish, opium and other narco-
tics.
_ In the field of foreign policy the government out-
lined a policy of non-alignment, positive and active
neutrality, independence and peace, based on princi-
ples of co-existence.

e ‘‘Establishment of relations of good neighborli-
ness, friendship and cooperation with all neighbors of
the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, consolida-
tion, widening and all-round expansion of friendly re-
lations with our great northern neighbor, the Soviet
Union, expansion of friendly relations with India, en-
suring friendly relations with Iran, Pakistan and
China, solution of the national issue of Pashtun and
Baluch people on the basis of their own will and on the
basis of historical background, solution of this issue
through understanding and peaceful political talks
between the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan and
Pakistan.” _ s

~ @ Campaign for peace.and stability in the region,
general disarmament, no proliferation of atomic
weapons, etc.

e Support of national liberation movements, of
the Arab people and of Palestine. Support to South

~ Africa, for national liberation, against apartheid.

e ‘‘Respect to and abidance by the Universal De-
claration of Human Rights and the Charter of the
United Nations.”’

This, then, is the program which the ‘‘great
liberator’ in Pakistan, the one-man dictator,
Mohammed Zia ul-Hagq, with the now open help and
assistance of China, the USA, Israel, Egypt, Saudi-
Arabia, would like to destroy.

But in the days I was there I already saw how
popular the new government and its program were.
And when the U.S. correspondents were at last ex-
pelled the air they left was cleaner and sweeter be-
cause they were gone.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FEBRUARY 22, 1980~Page 7