Realizing the strategic importance of this region of South Central Asia and the vital oil lifelines along the Arabian Sea and into the Straits of Hormuz. I traveled to those border areas to get a firsthand view of what was happening. I traveled with a colleague of mine. Congressman JOEL PRITCHARD from the State of Washington. and a threemember State Department contingent investigating the refugee camps. I personally have become convinced that the situation in Afghanistan is of truly vital importance to the United States and to the entire Western World. I intend to bring attention to the situation and the grave problems posed by Soviet expansion into the southern central Asia area.