Anti-Soviet shift a key UN trend

The anti-Soviet shift of the nonaligned countries as a result of Viet nam's invasion of Cambodia and now of the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan may well turn out to be the most important development at the UN in recent years.

A Security Council resolution calling "for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan," backed by the overwhelming majority of the Council's members, is certain to be blocked by a Soviet veto. But this will be only the first act of the protest play staged by the world community against the Soviet invasion.

The same resolution will be immediately submitted to the General Assembly under the Uniting for Peace Resolution (1950) and, according to informed sources here, will have no trouble being adopted by the the two- thirds majority demanded under that rule.

A General Assembly resolution may be of no practical value, but many diplomats here feel it would be a serious moral and diplomatic slap in the face for the Kremlin, according to Monitor contributor Lois Wiznitzer.

One victim of Soviet intervention in Afghanistan is Cuba, which, after 158 ballots, has withdrawn its candidacy for a nonpermanent seat at the Security Council in favor of Mexico.