AFGHANISTAN SITUATION REPORT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T01058R000406470001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 27, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 11, 1985
• Content Type: REPORT

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;.t Directorate of / /?j / )Top Secret
79.-811 .t ti C /C.B
Afghanistan Situation Report
11 June 1985
Top Secret
NESA M 85-10118CX
SOYA M 85-10109CX
11 June IW5
CODV .w .
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Soviet forces have broken through to Barikowt in
their Konar Valley offensive and have mounted
operations elsewhere in Afghanistan against the
IMPROVEMENTS
WIDESPREAD AIRFIELD
The Soviets are making improvements--largely to
protect aircraft from insurgent attacks--at three
major airfields in Afghanistan.
ARIANA SELLS ITS DC-10
Ariana, under pressure from the USSR, recently
sold its DC-10 and will replace it with Soviet
aircraft.
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3
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3
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PERSPECTIVE
MEDICAL CARE FOR AFGHAN INSURGENTS--AN UPDATE
Medical care for the insurgents remains poor but
has improved because of the increased availability
of trained Afghan paramedics. Foreign doctors
also continue to operate inside Afghanistan
despite increasingly aggressive Soviet military
operations.
5
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11 June 1985
NESA- M 815"10-118C1"
SOVA M '8'5-1'0109CX
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This document is.prepared weekly by the Office of
Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis and the
Office of Soviet Analysis. Questions or comments
on the issues raised in the -publication should be
directed to
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11 June 1985
NESA M 85-10118CX
SOVA M 85-10109CX
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2,000 guerrillas--and 20 weapons depots by 31 May.
They reported that their own casualties through the
According to press reports quoting insurgent sources,
Soviet and Afghan forces broke the siege of Barikowt
garrison on Friday. The Soviets claim to have
destroyed 25 to 30 insurgent groups--consisting of some
Soviet and Afghan forces have mounted operations in
other areas besides the Konar Valley this spring as
part of a general campaign to weaken the resistance--
reducing insurgent pressure on Af han arrison and
stemming insurgent infiltration.
same period amounted to about 300.
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11 June 1985
NESA M-85-10118CX
1 SOVA M 85-10109CX.
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USSR-AFGHANI STAN,.: WIDESPREAD AIRFIELD IMPROVEMENTS
A review of imagery shows the Soviets are i-mpr:oving
fac-i liti,es at three of the fo.ur major airfields in
Afghanistan.
Bagram.. An -aircraft -dispersal area w*i-th .14
revetments and a muni'ti-o'ns holding -apron was
completed by.27 April. A -second dispers:al area
with at least .10 revetments wa-s started in early
March. When completed., this will bring the number
.of revetments at 'Bagram to 36-.
Sh-indand.. By 10 May construction .was completed on
four larger revetments.., peach of which is capable of
,hold'ing two IIcombat aircraft of the types currently
deployed to Afghani_s-tan:; they-are not large enough
for bomb-ers Con.structi'o'n was started in 'mid-
February on another :dis-,persal are-a with at least
nine revetments, -p'l u.s two parkin:g/al-er't aprons and
.a probable munitions storage area. When completed,
there will be at 'le.a:st 2.5 revetments at the
airfield.
'K'abul. An 800 meter runway extension was 'com'plete-d
b.y .20 May. Work on the extension had begun in
?ARIANA SELLS ITS DC-10
Ariana has
recently so d its DC-10 for approximately US 35
million to British New Caledonia Airlines
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11 June.1985
NESA M :85-IO118CX
SOYA M 85-1010:9CX
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Ariana will purchase two
or more Soviet aircraft to replace the DC-10. Embassy
sources report that one aircraft will be an IL-62 and
another is likely to be a TU-134.
Comment: We believe the presence of US manufactured
aircraft in Afghanistan has been an embarrassment for
the Soviets. The sale of the DC-10 and its replacement
with Soviet planes provides hard currency to
Afghanistan and gives the Soviets greater control over
Ariana. Ariana's two remaining Western aircraft--
Boeing 727s--probably will be sold as soon as suitable
buyers can be found.
-- Moderate leader
Gailani said th
e resistance
coalition has b
een inactive sin
ce its formation in
early May. Res
istance leaders
in Peshawar ha
ve
failed to name
representatives
to an assembly.
of
members of the
new coalition, a
ccording to Ga
ilani,
out of fear tha
t fundamentalist
leader Sayyaf
may
try to buy the
representatives'
loyalties.
-- The DRA has nam
Industries and
ed a new Ministe
new heads of the
r of Mines and
state news ag
ency
and central ban
k. Their appoin
tments do not
seem
indicative of a factional or policy shift; all held
second-echelon bureaucratic positions. The
outgoing Minister of Mines and Industries is a
candidate member of the Politburo; it is unclear
whether he has fallen from favor or has been
reassigned.
11 June 1985
NESA M 85-10118CX
SOYA M 85-10109CX
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MEDICAL CARE FOR AFGHAN INSURGENTS--AN UPDATE1
by NESA
Medical care for the insurgents remains poor, although
an increase in the number of Afghan paramedics has
resulted in some improvement in the last year.
European doctors remain a major source of care for the
insurgents inside Afghanistan, and several US doctors
have also worked inside Afghanistan since 1984 despite
more aggressive Soviet military operations.
More Paramedics in Afghanistan
The number of paramedics serving the insurgents has
increased over the past year. Red Cross officials in
Pakistan told US diplomats in March they gave about
1,250 Afghans a one-day first aid course and first aid
kits and certified 79 Afghan paramedics who passed a
four-week course from October 1984 to February 1985.
The two Afghan medical associations in Pakistan also
gave a one-year course to almost 100 insurgents over
the last 12 months, according to Western observers.
In addition, small Western, Pakistani, and Arab-backed
philanthropic organizations operating in the border
area have begun paramedic training classes in Pakistan
within the last year. Many of the students come from
eastern Afghanistan and are chosen by various
resistance groups. Western observers are
concerned that many of those trained may stay in
Pakistan because it is safer.
Insurgent medical care has also improved because of
training provided by European doctors working inside
Afghanistan. The head of Medecins Sans Frontieres, the
largest of two French-sponsored medical organizations
with clinics in Afghanistan, told US officials that
several Afghans learned to do surgical procedures from
French doctors in the Panjsher Valley and treated
wounded insurgents after a Soviet offensive drove the
doctors out of the valley. Other Afghans have learned
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NESA M 85-10118CX
SOYA M 85-10109CX
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rudimentary medical skills, such as cleanin wounds,
from European doctors, according to Western
observers. More Afghan Army defectors wi rudimentary
paramedical training have also joined insurgent groups,
according to the observers.
Better clothing and equipment have helped reduce
medical problems. Insurgents suffered from less
frostbite last winter because more boots and parkas
were available, say observers.
Despite this progress, Afghan insurgents and civilians
still suffer from appalling medical problems.
Western observers say that at least 40 percent
Afghan population suffers from respiratory diseases,
including tuberculosis, and intestinal parasites. Many
insurgents with moderate cuts or injuries become
medical emergencies because of a lack of medical
expertise and supplies. The insurgents commanded by
Panjsher Valley leader Ahmad Masood--one of the best
organized groups in Afghanistan--often lack gauze for
bandages, vitamins to supplement poor diets, laboratory
supplies, and x-ray machines, according to Western
observers.
More Problems for European Doctors
European doctors inside Afghanistan must deal with more
aggressive Soviet military operations and better Soviet
25X1 intelligence. A Western observer who is in
contact with many of the doctors says movement inside
Afghanistan has become more dangerous because the
Soviets are bombing the main infiltration routes more
frequently. The director of Medecins Sans Frontieres
says that Soviet intelligence began to improve in 1984
and that the Soviets, using local informers and
reconnaissance aircraft, can now quickly locate French
clinics. Bombing strikes occur shortly after Soviet
planes spot the clinics, according to the Western
observer.
Despite the increased danger, the overall number of
European doctors has not yet declined significantly.
While the number of Medecins Sans Frontieres medical
personnel has declined from 25 to 15 over the last
year, according to Western observers, the
number of West German medical personnel has increased
from one.to 10. A second French-run organization,
11 June 1985
NESA M 85-10118CX
SOYA N 85-10109CX
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 b~~e: Soviets and. held for several months in 1.983.
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Medec.ins- d.u. Monde,. s_ti'll o.perate.s in Wardak Province.
where condit-ions are relatively peaceful, but a third.
French--run org,a.niz.atio.n, Aid. Medical Lnte.rnat'io.nale,
moved . to Pa.k i st.an afte-r- one of its doctors was captured
A. New. American Presenc:e-
Re.presenta.tive.s of the. U.S-based International Medical
Corps say they have, set up three or four clinics in
Paktia Province since 1.984, eac.h of which is staffed by
a US-doctor-and seve-ra..T Afghan doctors and.
parame.di-cs.. The-director says his organization will
co.nti nu.e to operate inside Afghanistan. Another
I nt.e:rn-a t i-o.n a.l M e.d. i s-a l Corps. doctor briefly visited
Panjs:he.r Valley le:a.der Ahmad Masood in May 1985. F--]
Outlook
We believe- tha-t medical care for insurgents in
Afg:ha,nis.t.an wi-11 continue: to improve.. Insurgent
leaders continue: to send men to Pa.kis.tan for
p.aramedi cal training, and.. those who have received -
training will train others... Training Afghans to teach
other Afgha.ns about rudimentary first aid and
preventive. medicine is, in our view, probably even more
effective than setting u.p cal f'acilitie.s and.
distributing medicines .
11 June 1985
NE.SA.-M 85-10118CX
SOVA M 85-10109C.X
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Foreign Medical Organizations
Both French organizations operating in
Afghanistan, Medecin Sans Frontieres (MSF) and Medecins
du Monde (MDM), are run by French personnel and
probably are financed in part by the French
government. Slightly more than half their personnel,
however, are from other European countries. Neither
MSF nor MDM has had problems getting volunteers despite
the increased difficulties of operating in
Afghanistan. MSF currently has eight personnel in the
Mazar-e Sharif area and seven personnel in
Badakhshan. The MSF director says his organization
prefers to operate in northern Afghanistan because the
need is greater. We also believe the MSF prefers to
work there because the French government has supported
the area's Jamiat-i-Islami organization.
NSF tries to keep the United States and Pakistan
at arms length. The MSF director told US officials in
1984 he does not want US doctors on his medical teams
because they would provoke the Soviets. He also
believes close identification with the United States
would alienate some Europeans. The director is certain
that Pakistani officials know the MSF is operating out
of Peshawar but believes the officials prefer not to be
asked for formal permission to do so.
West German medical personnel in Afghanistan are
supported by Union Aid, a private Afghan organization
that is given assistance by West German and Japanese
parliamentary groups, and by the privately funded Bonn
Afghanistan Committee, according to the US Embassy.
The US-based International Medical Corps (IMC) was
founded by an American doctor, Robert Simon, who spent
six weeks in Afghanistan in 1984. The IMC has raised
funds for Afghan medical care, brought its first Afghan
doctor to the US for six months of training in March
1985, and plans to open an office in Peshawar.
11 June 1985
NESA M 85-1O118CX
SOVA M 85-1O1O9CX
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