Having determined that rural Afghanistan is vital to the courageous bands of freedom fighters who resist this aggressive expansionism. the Soviets have literally pulverized the countryside. Bombing villages. burning crops. poisoning wells. and destroying fragile irrigation systems. the Soviets are doing whatever is necessary. sometimes doing the unthinkable. in order to depopulate regions of the country not controlled by Soviet forces. The result. as I have noted previously. has been the largest refugee migration in history. as well as rapid s. illing of the population in Afghanisti.s Sovietcontrolled cities. The accounts of Soviet barbarity in the countryside. of their complete disregard for human life and violation of every code of decency. are incretsingly well known. But what of the cities in Afghanistan. to which the rural population is fleeing in increasing numbers?