They have destroyed villages and have brutally killed and maimed Afghan civilians. Massive human rights abuses by Soviet troops against the Afghan population have been documented by Helsinki Watch. The Soviet occupation and the internal turmoil in Afghanistan have caused the flight of onefourth or more of its pre1979 population. creating the largest refugee population in the world. Close to 3 million Afghan refugees are reported to be in Pakistan. and some 1 million in Iran. Soviet troops and their Afghan proxies have used chemical weapons against innocent Afghans. Soviet strategy seems to be to maintain control of Afghanistan with a minimum commitment while. ominously. seeking a new generation of Afghan Communist leaders loyal to Moscow.
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refugee refugees