Basic HTML Version
further moves, however, may take a
while.
The Soviets will have to digest
Afghanistan first, no small matter.
After doing so, and before proceed–
ing onward, Moscow may launch a
new "peace offensive" in an at tempt
to lull the Free World. Detente, aftcr
all, began four years after Russia's
forceful venture in Czechoslovakia in
1968. The Kremlin may once again
orchcstrate the " Russian Tango"–
three stcps forward and two steps
back. But the thrust is, nevertheless,
relentlessly forward.
Near Fut ura Favors Moscow
Thc Soviet leadership knows that
time and cvents are on its side.
American weakn ess in l ran
pushcd forward the Soviet timetable
for Afghanistan. A Soviet bloc jour–
nalist admitted: " l f the United States
had actcd with more force in the
1ranian situation, the Soviets would
never have moved into Afghanistan.
The question they asked was, 'Why
should we not go ahead?' Thcre was
no good answer."
Thc Soviets also know that Paki–
stan represents another dilemma for
the United States and the West. lts
strongman leader, · President Mo–
hammed Zia-ul-haq, exccuted his
popular predecessor, Ali Bhutto.
Unpopular with his people, Moham–
med Zia may not last long.
Pakistan's rulers will undoubtedly
consider whatever aid is offercd them
by President Carter. Nevertheless
they knowWashington'ssudden inter–
est in them is not heartfelt.
lt
is only a
reaction to the Afghanistan crisis.
(Previous U.S. military aid had been
cut off because of Pakistan's attempt
to build atomic weapons.)
The most ironical twist of all is
that the Afghanistan invasion and
the subsequent attempt to shore up
Pakistan have occurred al the very
time that lndira Gandhi has been
returned to power in India. Mrs.
Gandhi downplays Soviet intentions
in southwestern Asia- but professes
alarm al a strengthened Paki stan,
lndia's chief foe.
As if to prepare for the eventual
dismemberment of both lran and
Pakistan, the new Afghan regime
lost no time in propagandizing sup–
port for separatist movements among
thc Baluchi people. The Baluchi
6
homeland stretchcs from southeast–
ern lran into Pakistan. A separate
" Baluchistan" under Soviet control
would be the key to Moscow's obtain–
ing an lndian Ocean port of its
own.
The Prize: Much-needed Oil
A takeover of 1ran, or portions of
that country, would be a grave devel–
opment indeed for the Free World.
"The pricc in political, economic and
military terms," reports
Time
maga–
zine, "would be enormous.
lt
would
place [the Soviets] in a position of
being able to turn off the oil tap for
Western consumers almost at will
when the oil shortage starts to really
bite later in the 1980s. lt would also
pul them in a position of "having
immediate access to the Gulf's rich
petroleum reserves when, in the next
few years, the U.S.S. R.'s domestic
output of oil is expected to start
falling short of its interna! needs."
The Soviet Union is currently
self-sufficient in oil and a signifi–
cant supplier of petroleum to both
Eastern and Western Europe. But
not for long; severa! recent studies
estímate that the Soviets will be–
come a net-importer of oil by the
mid- 1980s. "The Soviet oil crisis,"
reports thc Australian news maga–
zine
Bulletin,
"will coincide with
their period of strategic superiori–
ty.·• In other words, by mid-decade
-the so-called "window of peril"
period confronting the Western
world-Moscow will be able to
exert maximum pressure ·on the
Middle East.
lronically, President Carter de–
cided, as partial punishment for
their Afghanistan incursion, to halt
the sale to the Soviets of sophisti–
cated American oil drilling equip–
mcnt and technology. Moscow had
counted upon this technology- the
world's most advanced-to develop
its difficult Siberian oil fields. This
decision could therefore boomerang.
Without access lo such technology
Moscow will havc ' cvcn more reason
to penetrate the Mid-east oil de–
pots.
"And over this oil," notes U.S.
columnist Michael Novak, "many
wars, revolutions and disruptions are
certain to be fought during the 1980s
and 1990s....
This oil is lije.
Some
must have it or die. Willingness to die
for it is not
li~ely
to be as scarce as
the oil itself."
Greatest Fear: Saudi Overthrow
The Soviet power play sent shock
waves throughout theoil sheikdoms of
the PersianGulf. Many ofthe wealthy
but otherwise powerless Gulf states
are frightened. Moscow is advancing
their way, and the United States
appears, to them, to be too indecisive,
too undependable. They can't lean
upon Washington forsupport.
Meanwhile, Soviet agents have
been working to destabilize the Gulf
region.
lt
is now believed by Western
intelligence experts that the Soviets
were directly involved in the recent
insurrection at the Grand Mosque in
Mecca, the holiest shrine of all Islam
located inside Saudi Arabia.
A senior Saudi Arabian official
reported to the
New York Times,
that the takeover at the Grand Mos–
que was accomplished by 500 disci–
plined, heavily armed guerrillas.
Contradicting initial reports, the
official downplayed the role of fana–
tics interested only in religious issues.
Fanatics formed part of the force, he
said, but they had been co-opted by
well-trained guerrilla leaders who
had a far different motive.
"1 think it was sponsored by inter–
national organizations, probably Rus–
sians, to undermine the stability of
Saudi Arabia," said the official, who
was directly involved in the govern–
ment's handlingofthe inciden
t.
West European ·intelligence
sources further confirm that sorne of
the rebels were t rained in South
Yemen, a troublesome Soviet client
state on Saudi Arabia's southern
perimeter. Guerrillas from around
the world are educated in that former
British protectorate in the art of
political terrorism.
The noted Soviet affairs columnist
for London's
Daily Telegraph ,
Rob–
ert Moss, commenting on the aborted
assault, said
" lt
is safe to assume
that the Mecca ris ing will not be the
last move in the Soviet power play for
control of the oil-ricb Gulf arca."
lndeed, there have been recent
reports of additional Cuban and
Soviet military "advisers" being
Hown into South Yemen from nearby
Marxist Ethiopia. The Saudi govern–
ment has filed an urgent plea with
(Continued on page 44)
The
PLAIN TRUTH