Afghan Coup Topples Feudal Rule

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economically backward countries a government The new regime paints itself in less provocative colours-it claims to be "revolutionary democratic" and has said it intends to =otect the values of Islam and to pursue a "nonligned" foreign policy.

The first news of the iramatic events came on the afternoon of April 27 when Kabul radio broadcast a message from General Abdul Nader. head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary "For the first time in the story of Afghanistan, the - is: vestiges of the cruel and Nadir Khan has been {-==30e3"

rec: 1n 1973. But he was succeeded by his own brother -in-law, Mohamed Daoud.

Since 1973 Daoud has been everything-President, Premier, Foreign and Defence Minister all at once. He has presided over a cruel dictatorship in which political parties have been banned.

Daoud's regime still made use of the former King's state bureaucracy and, in spite of a nominal committment to land reform, rested politically on the old feudal aristocracy and landowners and on the army.

Daoud's foreign policy was nominally "non-aligned"-he was due this week to host a meeting of the co-ordinating council of the "non-aligned' countries-but he had been mainly an ally of Moscow from which he received aid in the form of money, technical and military assistance, and the training of technicians and army officers in the T'ECD his regime and family were killed in the course of it.

Within 24 hours calm had reportedly been restored and there were signs of popular welcome for the new government although the masses appear to have played no direct part in the events.

After the coup there were some demonstrations in which anti-imperialist, especially anti-CIA, slogans were shouted.

The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council which led the coup did not form a government but installed in office a largely civilian cabinet (there are three military officers out of 20 members) all of whom have been described in press reports as members of the "Afghanistan Communist The new ruling party, led by a former translator in the US Embassy. Nur Mohamed Taraki. is not a typical Stalinist narty The party, from its inception, has had close links with Moscow and is frequently referred to as the "Communist Party" , though unlike parties with a longer Stalinist history, it appears never to have been committed, even formally, to Marxist The programme and propaganda of the party has been almost exclusively antifeudal, nationalist and populist in nature.

In 1972 the party split into two public factions. Taraki continued to lead the Khalq (People) faction which remained in clandestinity during the Daoud regime.

The other faction, known as Parcham (Flag) was led by Mir Akhbar Khabir and was prepared to collaborate with the Daoud dictatorship.

Until last year this line appeared to suit the Moscow bureaucracy which combined STrong material and prospects of its client Daoud and encouraged Parcham and Khalq to reunite.

This they did and together adopted a position of clandestine opposition to the regime.

The new government claims, no doubt accurately, that '99% of the population was waiting for the overthrow of the previous regime"

"Our regime" they announced, "signifies the end of aristocracy and feudalism in Afghanistan.

From first reports it seems that a sizable part of the feudal exploiting class may have been killed in the coup.

But the new government still faces major opposition from the Muslim League which has powerful backers in the reactionary Arab nations, Iran and probably Pakistan, all of whom, like the imperialists, are anxious to reverse what they see as a possibly crucial Soviet strategis gain at ine Corder

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SOCIALIST PRESS. Wednesday 10 May, 1978

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which the capitalist press has labelled "pro-Moscow