Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 101 Part 3.djvu/793

 PROCLAMATION 5621—MAR. 20, 1987

101 STAT. 2091

with protection of national security and rights of privacy. As we celebrate free access to information as part of our heritage, let us honor the memory of President Madison for the wisdom and the devotion to the liberty of the American people that were his credo and his way of life. The Congress, by Public Law 99-539, has designated March 16, 1987, as "Freedom of Information Day" and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this event. NOW, THEREFORE, I, RONALD REAGAN, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim March 16, 1987, as Freedom of Information Day, and I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs and activities. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and eleventh. RONALD REAGAN

Proclamation 5621 of March 20, 1987

Afghanistan Day, 1987 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation The people of Afghanistan traditionally celebrate March 21 as the start of their new year. For the friends of the Afghan people, the date has another meaning: it is an occasion to reaffirm publicly our long-standing support of the Afghan struggle for freedom. That struggle seized the attention of the world in December 1979 when a massive Soviet force invaded, murdered one Marxist ruler, installed another, and attempted to crush a widespread resistance movement. Despite a 7-year reign of terror by over 115,000 Soviet troops, the Soviet attempt to subjugate the Afghans has failed. The puppet Kabul regime remains weak and illegitimate. The resistance movement has fought the Soviet army to a standstill. And the Afghan people, whose support for the resistance is overwhelming, have continued to show an indomitable will to be free. During the past year, the Afghan people have advanced their cause in a variety of ways. On the political front, the resistance Alliance has grown more cohesive and more effective. One major step in this direction occurred January 17, when the seven Alliance leaders put forward their own comprehensive plan for a free Afghanistan. The Alliance has also become the focal point for the distribution of social services and humanitarian resources inside the country, thereby helping to stem the outflow of refugees and laying the basis for reestablishing a free Afghanistan. On the battlefield, the resistance has demonstrated growing strength. Notable achievements include an increased ability to counter communist air power, the renewal of heavy military pressure on Kabul, the resurgence of

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