Imperialist alarm as Afghan coup consolidates
Socialist Press1980 1980-01-16Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 3 →
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in lef tic cul col tol MU un Ta şm no COl by suC rev to.
›n' in April.
Iminated in the army roads..
up -of April 27 that shammad Daud.
der Muhammad Nour raki, run in effect by his all Communist Party.
Since then the British ess has emitted periodic ises • of alarm that the untry is being 'taken over"
the Soviet Union and/or cumbing to Communist rolution:
What is the background this situation?
Afghanistan is one of the most ›st underdeveloped countries il untries in the world.
Virtual chattels
It is larger than France but with a population of only about 16 millions.
Almost 90% of Afghans are peasants (i.e. nomads), though much of the land is owned by a feudal aristocracy.
Less than a quarter of land is used, since much of eastern Afghanistan is formed of the Himalayas.
Average annual income is not much over $100 per person.
Almost half those born die in childhood.
Women remain virtual chattels. Fewer than 10% of people can read or write In the villages the hold of Moslem priests has been virtually unchallenged; it weighs far more heavily than the puwer of the central government.
• : Localised Afghanistan's social structure temains as it has been for. centuries.* What et RÜM. ZE CREECEE TURKEY ALGERIA • LIBYA EGYPT NIGER ruo Liu CK SEA GASPIAN 1 BUC SEA IRAQ IRAN STAN"
SAUDI INDIA ARABIA