'Some Ideas About Foreign Policy Results of the 1970s (Points)' of Academician O. Bogomolov of the Institute of the Economy of the World Socialist System sent to the CC CPSU and the KGB

The introduction of Soviet troops did not lead to the abatement of armed struggle by the opposition against the government. The Islamic fundamentalists have sharply stepped up their propaganda activity among the population using a new slogan: fight against foreign troops. Attempts have been stepped up at joining all Islamic groups into a single anti-government and anti-Soviet front.

After the introduction of the Soviet troops the United States, their allies, some Arab and Muslim countries, and also China announced their support and aid to the opposition. This aid had been given earlier, but now it has grown considerably. Afghanistan ended up isolated at the international level and relies only on the socialist camp, mainly the Soviet Union.

With the introduction of troops into Afghanistan our policy…crossed the permissible bounds of confrontation in the “Third World”. The advantages of this action turned out to be insignificant compared to the damage which was inflicted on our interests:

1. In addition to the confrontations on two fronts – in Europe against NATO and in East Asia against China – a third dangerous hotbed of military and political tension on the USSR's southern flank has arisen for us in unfavorable geographic and sociopolitical conditions…

2. A considerable expansion and consolidation of the anti-Soviet front of countries surrounding the USSR from west to east has taken place.

3. The influence of the USSR on the Non-Aligned Movement, has suffered considerably, especially in the Muslim world.

4. Détente has been blocked and the political prerequisites to limit the arms race have been destroyed.

5. Economic and technological pressure on the Soviet Union have risen sharply.

6. Western and Chinese propaganda have received strong trump cards to expand a campaign against the Soviet Union in order to undermine its prestige in Western public opinion, developing countries, and also the socialist countries.

7. The Afghan events have eliminated the preconditions for a possible normalization of Soviet-Chinese relations for a long time.

8. These events have served as a catalyst to overcome the crisis relations and for a reconciliation between the Iran and the US.

9. Mistrust toward Soviet policy has been intensified and Yugoslavia, Romania, and North Korea have distanced themselves from it. Even in the Hungarian and Polish press signs have been observed of a restraint in connection with Soviet actions in Afghanistan. Evidently they reflect the sentiments of the public and the fears of the leaders of these countries of being drawn into the global actions of the Soviet Union, for which our partners do not have sufficient resources to participate.

10. The nuanced policy of the Western powers has been intensified and it has switched to a new tactic of active intrusion into the sphere of relations between the Soviet Union and other socialist countries, openly playing on the contradictions and incompatibility of interests between them.

11. The burden of economic aid to Afghanistan has rested on the Soviet Union…