The World : Pravda Cites Afghan Rift

The Soviet Union acknowledged widespread opposition to its client government in Afghanistan and said that compromises and negotiation are needed to win popular support. “Far from all people in Afghanistan, even among working sections of the population, accepted the . . . revolution,” the Communist Party newspaper Pravda said. It blamed a “passion for revolutionary phrases and enforcement of social reforms, without due account for the real situation and social and national specifics of the country.” The heavy-handed policies of the Kabul regime spurred strong resistance and led to Soviet military intervention in December, 1979.