UN Assembly gears up to call for Afghan pullout

The General Assembly was expected to approve Monday a call for the total withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan -- a decision blocked a week ago in the Security Council by a Soviet veto. Neither resolution mentioned the Russians by name, but the nonaligned states sponsoring the Assembly proposal made clear in three days of debate to whom their appeal was addressed.

Their resolution would also deeply deplore the armed intervention in Afghanistan. While a precise tally of support for the resolution could not be made, some diplomats said more than 100 members might vote for it.