Afghan Anguish

A letter to The Times (Dec. 22) on “The Anguish of Afghanistan” suggested that “it does sound unbelievable that the Soviets would allow this (genocide).” This prompts me to reply.

I am a 24-year-old just returned from a month-long trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan. I bear witness to the genocide of a people. Through my contacts, I was able to sneak inside the war zones and visit refugee camps and surgical hospitals. I went because I take seriously the call, “Never Again.” I discovered an extremely spirited, religious, and courageous group of men, women and children who are attempting to maintain their freedoms and their dignity under especially cruel attack.

The personal risks I took to witness two battles, interview ground commanders, and survive in the mountains of Afghanistan do not begin to approach the daily efforts of a Muslim people fighting valiantly not to be exterminated and humiliated.

As a Jew, I wanted to reach out to a religious people being persecuted. As an American, I wanted to research my world before attempting to challenge and change it. As a law student in Washington, D.C., I sensed that while some of my colleagues were going to make money in law firms, I was going to pursue my interests and concerns in the fields of politics and foreign policy.

LARRY GREENFIELD

Encino