European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 17, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday october 17, 1988 the stars and stripes soviets begin Afghanistan withdrawal Shi Dand Afghanistan up in Clouds of desert Sand a Convoy with hundreds of soviet Tanki trucks and other military vehicle rolled through West Ern Afghanistan wednesday to Start a scheduled with draw of 8,000 troops. You came to our help in the darkest and hardest Days of our  said afghan Leader Najibullah. Who flew in to the soviet base at Shi Dand 60 Miles from the soviet Border from a reviewing stand. The internationalist soldiers after fulfilling their internationalist task Are returning to their Homeland he said. The tank regiment comprising about 90 tanks and Long incs of mounted artillery armoured personnel car Hen and other vehicles was the firs of six regiments scheduled to be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of the month. The United Stales one of the nations funnelling Pidto moslem insurgents fighting the soviet installed communist government has dismissed the withdrawal As being of no military significance because the soviet Union has an estimated 115,000 troops in the country. But soviet and afghan officials did their Best to publicize the withdrawal. Five troop transports carried some 200 government officials and reporters including Many westerners on a s a hour flight across the country to witness the withdrawal ceremony. The preparations were elaborate. Reporters were taken a Short distance from the Well fort lifted air base at Shi Dand to a site along the main Highway leading North. About 1,000 men were lined up beside the Road. Behind them stretching into the dust Clouds were lines of soviet Armor. The numbers appeared to conform to Western Fig lires for a soviet armoured regiment about 90 t-64tanks, 30 armoured person Nel carriers and mounted