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Mr. Keith Fuller
President and General Manager
Associated Press
50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020.

Dear Mr. Fuller:

	Enclosed are two excerpts from recent A.P. stories with
editorial explanations.  The writer of these explanations has
evidently forgotten the circumstances of the Soviet invasion
of Afghanistan.  He can refresh his memory by looking the A.P.
morgue.

Excerpt from a story of November 25, 1984.

    ``The rebels are fighting both government forces and some 100,000
Soviet soldiers sent into Afghanistan nearly five years ago to help
the Communist government oppose the insurgents.''

Here is an excerpt from a story of a few weeks ago.

    ``Soviet soldiers entered Afghanistan in December 1979 to support the
Marxist government of President Babrak Karmal in its fight against
the rebels.''

	The story says that the Soviets intervened to aid the
government of Babrak Karmal.  In fact they landed secretly
and captured the airport, arrested and killed the prime minister
named Amin and installed Karmal whom they brought with them.
Please refer to the A.P. stories of that time.

	Similar mistaken explanations have appeared many times
attached to A.P. stories.  The correct history has also appeared
several times in the body of stories.

	Perhaps the editorial writer who provides these explanations
imagines a greater analogy to American activities in Vietnam than
is warranted by the facts.

	A short but correct explanation would be:

	The Soviet surprise invasion of Afghanistan in 1979
installed Babrak Karmal as Prime Minister.  The previous Prime
Minister, also a Communist, was killed by the Soviets or their Afghan
supporters.  The rebellion preceded the invasion, but intensified when
Soviet troops intervened directly.

Sincerely,