Four More Nations Will Pull Envoys From Kabul

Four nations announced Friday they will follow the U.S. decision to pull its diplomats out of Afghanistan.

France, Italy, Britain and Japan made separate announcements of their intentions to leave Kabul.

The Afghan government responded by criticizing the closings. The Soviet news agency Tass reported that the decisions reflect an attempt to undermine international confidence in the Soviet-backed government, besieged by Muslim guerrillas.

Italy said it will temporarily close its embassy in Kabul as soon as an Italian journalist seriously injured in Afghanistan can leave, a Foreign Ministry official said in Rome.

Tass quoted an Afghan Foreign Ministry statement charging that the closure of embassies on security grounds in view of the imminent departure of Soviet troops is unjustified.

It said the Afghan army “is successfully defending the cities and provinces from where Soviet troops have already left.”

“Therefore, the decisions of Western states can only be assessed as an attempt to sap the trust of international public opinion in the ability of the state authorities to defend the city from extremists.”

Tass also reported that a child was killed and several buildings damaged in a rebel rocket attack on the Afghan capital Friday. It said five rockets hit the city, one destroying a school.

Meanwhile, Soviet Defense Minister Dmitri T. Yazov flew in on a previously unannounced visit, less than three weeks before the last of his troops are due to leave the country.

A Soviet Embassy official said Yazov immediately went into conference with President Najibullah, but he could give no further details.

Most embassies and aid agencies cut their staffs last August during a period of heavy rebel rocket attacks on Kabul.

Not all diplomats are happy at the prospect of recall.

“People talk rubbish,” one French envoy commented. “It’s beautiful weather. There are no rockets. It’s very quiet now.”