The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

Bakhturin entered the hotel, they saw Col. Kliushnikov, an adviser at the Ministry of theInterior of Afghanistan. Kliushnikov briefed them on what had happened that morning andthe current status. According to Kliushnikov, the terrorists who had kidnapped theambassador were threatening to trigger a bomb in the hotel room if their demands werenot met. They demanded the release from captivity of Badruddin Bahes, one of the leadersof Setam-e Milli * , also known as Tahir Badakhshi’s organization. The terrorists alsodemanded an opportunity to speak on national television and safe passage by air, alongwith the American ambassador, to another country.“Who is this Bahes?” asked Bakhturin. “Where is he imprisoned?”“If I only knew,” Kliushnikov shrugged his shoulders. “Tarun says that he is almostcertainly a Parchami, and hints that he is nowhere to be found. I understand that he waskilled some time ago.”A group of Americans were standing nearby. Their security officer by the name ofCharlie approached Bakhturin. “Colleague, I have a request for you. Please, don’t take anyaction that would jeopardize Ambassador Dubs’s life.”“I can promise you that, but you’d be better off asking the Afghans,” Bakhturinreplied. “They are the hosts of the place, after all.”At the reception desk, Bakhturin received a list of rooms occupied by Soviet citizens,and proceeded to different floors to warn every Soviet staying at the hotel of the potentialdanger. A decision was made to gather the hotel guests at a vacant restaurant on theground floor. A problem arose when Bakhturin knocked on the door of the room directlyadjacent to Room 117, where the terrorists were based. Chief Party Adviser Veselov and his* Setam-i Milli: “National Oppression,” the name of the extremist militant organization fighting for the rightsof ethnic minorities living in northern Afghanistan.293