Soviet Official Responds To Foreign Policy Attack

Responding to a protester's comparison of the Soviet military presence in Afghanistan to Hitler's invasion of Russia, a top Kremlin official yesterday defended his country's role in that nation.

"You're not going to tell me it's a fight between Soviet troops and Afghan troops. It's a fight between Afghan troops and Afghan troops," said Gennadi Gerasimov, head of the Information Department of the Soviet Foreign Ministry, after a speech at Emerson Hall.

Immediately following a lecture by Gerasimov on a variety of issues relating to Soviet-American affairs, Charles M. Brockunier '62, a Cambridge resident who said he has actively supported the Afghani resistance movement since 1981, began posting pictures of Afghani children allegedly mutilated by Russian troops.

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan is no different than Hitler's invasion of Russia, Brockunier announced to a group of several members of the audience and the press who gathered at the lecture podium to talk with Gerasimov.

"It's a civil war," said Gerasimov, who was visibly disturbed by Brockunier's charge. Explaining the Soviet presence in Afghanistan, the official said, "We don't want this revolution to fail."

During the lecture, which was arranged by Marshall Goldman, associate director of the Russian Research Center, Gerasimov commented on the release of American journalist Nicholas S. Daniloff '56 and its impact on relations between the superpowers.

"We didn't want this relatively minor case to hold up the relations," said Gerasimov, clad in a sportshirt emblazonedwith the NBC logo. He added that the Soviets, whoreleased Daniloff two days ago, did so "to removethis obstacle from the road to the summit."

Last month the Soviets arrested Daniloff forspying. The United States government said thatarrest was a response to the indictment of SovietU.N. worker Gennadi Zakharov on espionage charges.The result of these dual arrests was a more thanmonth-long diplomatic standoff that led toincreased tensions in Soviet-American relations.

When asked if Daniloff would be permitted toreturn to the Soviet Union at a later date,Gerasimov said, "No, I don't think so. Theevidence against him is strong."

But Goldman said that the United Statesbargained for and won the U.S. News and WorldReport correspondent's right to leave Moscow witha re-entry visa and to retain his press pass.

In his speech, Gerasimov expressed optimismabout the pre-summit meeting which GeneralSecretary Mikhail S. Gorbachev and PresidentReagan agreed to hold in Iceland 10 days from now.

"Let's have a meeting of a preparatory naturein a quiet atmosphere, without press, withoutpressure, to find out where the areas of commonagreement are," he said.

Throughout the question-and-answer portion ofhis talk, Gerasimov emphasized his country'sdesire to eventually leave Afghanistan. "We don'twant to be there forever. We don't want our boysto be killed."

But as long as the United States continues tosupport the Afghan resistance movement, thefighting will continue, he said.

The former Soviet journalist also criticizedthe American press for presenting a distorted viewof the Soviet Union to their readers.

"Most American reporters in Moscow don't speakfluent Russian, and how can you report the countryif you can't speak Russian," he said.

Gerasimov opened his talk with an affirmationof the Soviet's desire to achieve a moratorium onnuclear testing. "We are sincere in this nucleartest ban."

He discounted fears that his country wouldcheat on such an agreement. "We now have technicalmeans so no one can cheat on a nuclear test ban.