The World - News from Sept. 4, 1989

The Afghan government denied there are any Soviet military advisers working with its troops, despite U.S. assertions to the contrary. “There is no Soviet military adviser in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan armed forces enjoy sufficient experience and morale to defend the country,” a Foreign Ministry statement said. Peter Tomsen, the U.S. envoy to the Afghan rebel government based in Pakistan, said last week that at least 300 Soviet advisers were helping the Kabul regime. He also said Washington will continue to provide military assistance to all rebel groups. The Afghan statement criticized this U.S. aid pledge, saying it “indicates the instability of the moujahedeen (rebel) government and the U.S. lack of confidence in that government.”