PRAGUE: Radio Prague said today [Aug 21] that Prague and the whole of Czechoslovakia were occupied by Warsaw Pact troops.

A bulletin addressed to the whole of the country said: “At 2300 hours Soviet, Polish, East German, Bulgarian and Hungarian troops crossed the Frontier. This took place without the President of the Republic, the National Assembly President, the Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia and the Communist Party First Secretary being warned.”

In Moscow, the Tass said that the action had been taken at the request of the Party and Government leaders of Czechoslovakia to render “urgent assistance, including assistance with armed forces”. “The request was brought about by the threat which has arisen to the socialist system, existing in Czechoslovakia ... from the counter-revolutionary forces which have entered into a collusion with foreign forces hostile to socialism.” It added, “the troops will be immediately withdrawn as soon as the obtaining threat is eliminated and lawful authorities find that further presence of the armed units there is no longer necessary.”

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2018