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SECRET PAGE 01 STATE 172400 ORIGIN SS-25 INFO OCT-00 ADS-00 SSO-00 /025 R DRAFTED BY EUR/SOV:RPERITO:LR APPROVED BY P:DNEWSOM NEA/PAB:JCOON NSC:MBREMENT EUR/SOV:WTSHINN,JR. S/MS:CKAMMAN NEA:JMIKLOS EUR:GSVEST INR:DMARK S/S-O:RCASTRODALE ------------------056541 040231Z /23 O R 032112Z JUL 79 FM SECSTATE WASHDC TO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW IMMEDIATE AMEMBASSY KABUL IMMEDIATE INFO AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY BEIJING AMEMBASSY JIDDA AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD AMEMBASSY TEHRAN S E C R E T STATE 172400 EXDIS E.O. 12065 GDS 7/3/85 (VEST, GEORGE S.) TAGS: PEPR, PINS, AF, US, UR SUBJECT: (C) DEMARCHE TO SOVIETS ON MEDIA ALLEGATIONS OF US INTERFERENCE IN AFGHANISTAN SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 STATE 172400 1. (S - ENTIRE TEXT) 2. DESPITE REPEATED US OFFICIAL OBJECTIONS, SOVIET MEDIA CONTINUE TO CARRY ALLEGATIONS OF US INTERFERENCE IN AFGHANISTAN. THESE ARTICLES ARE NOT ONLY HOSTILE AND UNTRUE, BUT ALSO ENDANGER THE WELFARE OF ALL AMERICANS IN AFGHANISTAN. Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 3. THE MOST OBJECTIONABLE OF RECENT SOVIET COMMENTARIES ON AFGHANISTAN IS A TASS PIECE OF JUNE 27 BY YURIY KORNILOV ENTITLED "AFGHANISTAN" ON GUARD OF THE REVOLUTION." KORNILOV MAKES CLAIM THAT "ADVISERS" RECENTLY ASSIGNED TO THE US EMBASSY IN KABUL ARE USING THEIR "OFFICIAL POSITIONS TO ENGAGE IN HOSTILE PROPAGANDA AGAINST THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT AND TO ESTABLISH DIRECT CONTACTS WITH REBEL ELEMENTS." ARTICLE ALSO REPEATS EARLIER SOVIET ACCUSATIONS THAT THE CIA IS TRAINING INSURGENTS AT BASES IN PAKISTAN. 4. FOR MOSCOW: EMBASSY SHOULD SEEK APPOINTMENT AT APPROPRIATE LEVEL IN MFA TO DELIVER FOLLOWING DEMARCHE. SIMILAR PROTEST WILL BE MADE AT THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY LEVEL IN THE DEPARTMENT. YOU SHOULD MAKE THE FOLLOWING POINTS: --THE UNITED STATES IS NOT INTERFERING IN THE INTERNALAIRS OF AFGHANISTAN AND IS IN NO WAY ASSISTING VARIOUS GROUPS TO OPPOSE THE PRESENT REGIME. THIS WAS MADE CLEAR TO PRESIDENT BREZHNEV IN VIENNA AND HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF SEVERAL US DEMARCHES. --WE HAVE ALSO MADE CLEAR ON REPEATED OCCASIONS THAT SECRET SECRET PAGE 03 STATE 172400 WE CATEGORICALLY REJECT THE GROUNDLESS ACCUSATIONS THAT HAVE APPEARED IN SOVIET MEDIA. DESPITE OUR MANY CONVERSATIONS ON THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER, FALSE AND EVEN INFLAMMATORY ARTICLES CONTINUE TO APPEAR. --ONE OF THE MOST OBJECTIONABLE RECENT EXAMPLES IS A TASS NEWS ANALYST PIECE BY ONE YURIY KORNILOV OF JUNE 27. NOT ONLY DOES THIS ARTICLE REPEAT PAST ALLEGATIONS OF US ASSISTANCE TO "COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY GROUPS," BUT ALSO CLAIMS THAT PERSONNEL IN THE US EMBASSY IN KABUL ARE DIRECTLY AIDING THE INSURGENTS. --GIVEN THE UNSTABLE CONDITIONS IN AFGHANISTAN, SUCH ARTICLES CAN ONLY ENDANGER THE WELFARE OF OUR EMBASSY PERSONNEL AND OTHER AMERICANS IN THE COUNTRY. --AS PRESIDENT CARTER POINTED OUT IN VIENNA, OUR MUTUAL INTERESTS ARE BEST SERVED BY ACTIONS WHICH PROMOTE PEACE AND REDUCE SUPERPOWER COMPETITION IN THE THIRD WORLD. CONTINUED FALSE REPORTING OF US ACTIONS IN SOUTH ASIA CAN ONLY SERVE TO HARM OUR BILATERAL RELATIONS IN THIS MOST SENSITIVE PERIOD. Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 ; FOR KABUL: CHARGE SHOULD IMMEDIATELY SEEK AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE SOVIET AMBASSADOR TO DELIVER THE ABOVE TALKING POINTS. CHRISTOPHER SECRET NNNN Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P. Walter Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014