Annex A
CONFIDENTIAL
POLITICAL BACKGROUND BRIEF
AFGHANISTAN: THE SOVIET OCCUPATION
Situation within Afghanistan (July 1981)
1. Babrak Karmal's regime still has practically no support within Afghanistan. Without the backing of 85,000 Soviet troops it would fall. Resistance activity has increased during recent months and there is still no province of Afghanistan where fighting is not taking place.
Refugees
2. There are now over 2 million Afghan refugees officially registered in Pakistan. There are also perhaps 300,000 or more in Iran. This exodus from Afghanistan of one seventh of the population demonstrates the lack of support for the . puppet regime and the Soviet invaders. The British Government has responded generously to the UNHCR appeals for the refugees. Since the Soviet invasion the British share of the Community response has so far amounted to some £4.2 million. We have also given £1.62 million in bilateral donations. are now urgently considering the UNHCR's latest appeal.
UN General Assembly Resolutions
We
3. On 20 November the UN General Assembly voted for a resolution calling for immediate withdrawal of foreign troops freedom for the Afghans to have the government of their own choice and a solution of the refugee problem. This was adopted by an even greater majority (111-22-12) than the first UN General Assembly Resolution of January 1980 (104-18-18). The November resolution also invited the Secretary-General to appoint a special representative quote with a view to promoting a political solution unquote. On 11 February during the Non-Aligned Meeting in Delhi, Dr Waldheim announced the appointment of de Cuellar as his personal representative to follow up the efforts he had been making to achieve a solution. De Cuellar subsequently visited Kabul and Islamabad. He later visited Moscow with Dr Waldheim. The initiative does not seem to be making much immediate progress, especially
CONTIDENTIAL
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