European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday. May 25, 19bb the stars and stripes Page 9 afghan War Hurt red army morale report cites alleged drug use dragging suicides Washington a morale was Tow in Many red army units in Afghanistan before the soviet pull out began a study released monday no cd. The study conducted for the . Army by the Rand corp., cited alleged widespread instances of eth Nic friction drug use suicide and dragging the Mur Der of officers by their troops. It said Al Iasi 100 soviet soldiers were known to have deserted before the withdrawal started May 15. The report also found that inc War in Afghanistan has shown thai ethnic cleavages in the soviet armed forces continue to be deep particularly Between mos lems and soviets and other slavs. But the author Alex at Xiv cautioned Ifni Many of the problems encountered by the red army in Afghanistan were particular to thai situation and would not be Likely to play much of a role in Oiher War scenarios such As a conflict Between the Warsaw pact and nato nations. Alc Xiv actually found much Good news for the Kremlin during his research which included inter views with 35 former soviet servicemen who had first hand experience in Afghanistan and close Reading of More than 300 articles published in the soviet press since the 1979 military intervention. Soviet military performance in Afghanistan showed improvement particularly in its  Ncncy dimension As Long As air dominance was maintained a Xiv wrote. Many analysis say shipments of . And British made anti aircraft weapons to the Mujdah Cdean rebels that began in 1986 denied the soviets command of the air turned the War around and forced the withdrawal. The Rand report said the soviet Force was divided into two main cat Goric elite counterinsurgency units totalling 18,000 to 23,000 soldiers who do most of the fighting and whose standards and morale arc High and full time occupation forces which see limited combat duly and in which most morale problems appear to be found. An afghan Ruer Willii displays an ammunition hell Ubo ird a soviet made armoured reconnaissance chicle left by Hiil in Pafuti Aniston when rebels forced soviet and government troops la cd Cuetei ram Ion May 15. I lie study said those problems appeared to Stem from the High number of criminal convicts among draftees Fri non Between moslem and slavs and brutality by officers and older enlisted men toward new recruits. These problems reportedly led to violence Between officers and enlisted men As Well As suicide. The problem of dragging stems from that cruelty. The report said. Half of the former soviet soldiers interviewed by Rand said they defected because of Llie brutality. Many Soviel officers volunteered to serve in Afghanistan because it meant higher pay. Swifter prune. Tion and such benefits As guaranteed Entrance into prestigious Mil Ilary academics the report fou my. Many draftees it said volunteered Tor Afghanistan in lieu of prison. Before Lac Soviel intervention the report said drug abuse in the Soviel army was considered by most analysts to be negligible. Today. In arc is Good reason to believe that a majority perhaps even a sub Stantial majority of soviet forces in Afghanistan use drugs on a fairly regular  split by storm the 30,000-ton freighter korean Star lies in two pieces an the Rocky coast of Wesl Australia monday after inking a battering from Cyclone Herbie. The Crew had abandoned the ship before 11 Aune to my on the Racks. Many athenians unsure anti smog drive works Athens Greece a the government says its new Campaign to reduce atmospheric pollution is working but Many of the capital s 3.3 million Resi dents Are not so sure. For years Athens has been plagued by a Brown layer of noxious smoke cd Hausa fumes and factory emissions that Atheni ans Call the Nefos which is greek for Cload. On a warm windless Day. The Nefos sends an average of 300 athenians to the Hospital complaining of headaches Chest pains nausea and stinging yes. I drive around Al Hans All Day and. When i get Home my nose is clogged and my hair is oily from the fumes. And. When summer hits it s much worse said m Cha Lia co Nifakos. One of the City s 13,000 taxi Drivers. Last july a Freak 10-Day heat wave com pounded the smog problem and More than 1.200 mostly poor and elderly athenians died of heatstroke and breathing problems officials in Premier Andreas Papan Dicou s socialist government say thai a new package Ofanio Imog measures is producing results and thai last summer s High temperatures Are unlikely to recur. The recent package has been particularly productive. We have had a lilo 25 per cent reduction in Overall pollution Levels environment minister Evangilos Kou Toumbis said in a statement to he associated press. The smog which environmental experts say closely resembles thai in los Angeles. Forms Over the Mountain ringed Athens Basin on warm still Days. The Sun heats up a layer of cold night air close to the ground thai rises into the lower atmosphere and then ads As a Barrier thai traps the warmer pollutants underneath. The problem is aggravated by the Lack of Parks and Green spaces amid Athens con Crete sprawl. There Are just 2.4 Square Yards of greenery per resident compared to 12 Square Yards in Rome 24 Square Yards in Vienna and 32.4 Square Yards in a Raster dam. Environmental scientists blame the City s 790,000 cars diesel powered mils buses and trucks for 79 Pyrc Cal of the smog. If you take away half the cars you d Only have half the problem. Trally would move faster and you d have few engines idling and producing seven limes As much pollution said dim Hris had Xidakis. A chemical Engineer with Pera the. Stale run pollution control program f Kouloumbis said the new anti pollution measures Are aimed at altering the Way " the City  for example to Cut Down on traffic the government abolished Greece s traditional split working Day Ullh its three hour lunch time siesta break. Stores now stay open from 9 . To 7 . And he change eliminated two Orinc cily slur Rush hours. The new measures also ban half the City s taxis from the 5-Square-Mie City Cen Ter on alternate Days and closed a 2-Squarc mile Central commercial District to traffic. Hut. Despite the government claims pen Pic who work in the any Center by they can t we much improvement. The Nefos seems to be the same and fewer people shop in the afternoon hours because of the heat and smog. The summer looks like in going to he worse and will definitely Cul business said Michli Vito a Szorc clerk at a Central Athens shoe More. Half the City s private cars have been banned from the Center on ahem air Days since ivs4, according to their License plate numbers. Even numbered can drive on even numbered Days of the month and vice versa