Office of the Historian

157. Article in the National Intelligence Daily1

[article number not declassified]
Washington, January 11, 1980

BRIEFS AND COMMENTS

USSR-PAKISTAN: Soviet Tactics

The Soviets are trying to deter Pakistan both from moving closer to China and the US and from providing increased aid to the Afghan insurgents. ([classification marking not declassified])

In some of their contacts with the Pakistanis, the Soviets appear to be playing to those who advocate a policy of accommodation to the USSR. [10½ lines and classification marking not declassified]

[1 paragraph (9 lines) and classification marking not declassified]

Soviet media treatment of Pakistan after the invasion was initially restrained. As late as last Saturday, Soviet media were commending Pakistan for its alleged lack of enthusiasm for US arms offers and telling the Pakistanis it was “not too late” to respond to Afghanistan’s appeal for better relations. Pakistan’s condemnation of Soviet actions in the Security Council debate, coupled with its dialogue with the US over security reassurances, have since appeared to prompt Moscow to toughen its treatment of the Pakistanis.2 On Monday, Soviet media warned the Pakistanis that “no good will come” of closer ties with the US, and on Wednesday Pravda reminded them that the US supply of weapons to Pakistan would cause considerable concern among Pakistan’s neighbors, particularly India.3 [classification marking not declassified]

Soviet officials in Pakistan have in their contacts with Pakistanis gone further than the media, threatening that if Pakistan does not cease all aid to the rebels, its security position will be “precarious” with Afghanistan and Soviet troops on one side and India under Indira Gandhi on the other. [classification marking and handling restriction not declassified]

  1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 81B00401R: Subject Files of the Presidential Briefing Coordinator for DCI (1977–81), Box 8, Afghanistan Crisis—January 1980, NIDs. Top Secret; [codeword and handling restriction not declassified]. The full version of this National Intelligence Daily was not filed with this collection. The article printed here was found in this form.↩
  2. Pakistan was one of 52 countries to sign the letter to the UN Secretary General condemning the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan and requesting a Security Council session. See footnote 6, Document 136.↩
  3. Monday was January 7 and Wednesday was January 9.↩