The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

political situation developing in the country. On the one hand, Muslim fundamentalistgroups were becoming more influential and preparing for an armed struggle. On the otherhand, those dissatisfied with the medieval state of affairs in Afghanistan were exhibiting agrowing determination to challenge the ruling regime. If those people had been simplepeasants, workers, or bureaucrats, the situation would not be so dangerous. But these wereyoung officers, the backbone of the Afghan army. In such a volatile political atmosphere,Zahir Shah could easily find himself in an unenviable position. He had had his fair share ofdistressing situations over the years and now, guided by experience, he considered itprudent to “retreat” and transfer his authority to someone more willing to grapple with thegrowing unrest and direct the country back to the traditional course of moderatenationalism. The man for the job was Mohammad Daoud, an out-of-favor prime ministerand a close relative of the king. Before the “state coup d’etat” was carried out, the king,joined by his relatives and entourage, left the country for Italy to be spared the usualunpleasantries that follow transfers of power.News of the “monarch’s blessing of Daoud to conduct the republican coup” wasrelayed to Moscow, but it went unnoticed among the enthusiasm surroundingAfghanistan’s transition to a “new stage of progressive development.” The enthusiasm waswell merited. In his first speech on Kabul radio the morning after seizing power, the newAfghan leader assured his fellow citizens that from now on the country would developalong a path of social-economic democratization. He proclaimed the abolition of social andethnic inequalities through the establishment of just land reforms that would allow Afghanpeasants to own their own land. Daoud expressed his intention to put an end tobureaucratic corruption and to introduce state control over prices in the service and trade14