The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

13.07.2015 Views

“‘The security operatives, having received a specific threat, had to take measures tofree the ambassador before the ten minutes expired. As a result, the terrorists shot andwounded the ambassador.’ It all looks like the truth, except for the part where theterrorists ‘shot’ the ambassador. Our operatives are saying that the policemen were theonly ones shooting. However, one can understand the cause of these sorts of lies. Afghanscertainly could not write in the official report, ‘forgive us, our dear American friends. Ourguys screwed up and killed everybody, victim and captors alike.’”After Khotyaev was done with the preliminary analysis of the official report, heturned to the ambassador’s biography for a close reading.“Born in August 1920 in Illinois, USA. Graduated from college in 1942. Served in theU.S. Navy as an officer from 1942 until 1946. Began working at the U.S. State Department in1950. From 1950 until 1952, worked as a civil servant in the city of Golbach (?) in theFederal Republic of Germany. From 1952 until 1954, worked at the economic section of theU.S. embassy in Monrovia (Liberia). From 1954 until 1957, worked at the political sectionof the U.S. embassy in Ottawa (Canada). From 1958 until 1961, worked at the Departmentof International Relations at the U.S. State Department. From 1961 until 1963, headed thepolitical section of the U.S. embassy in Moscow. From 1963 until 1964, worked at a college.From 1964 until 1968, worked at the political section of the U.S. embassy in Belgrade. From1969 to 1971, headed the Department of the USSR at the U.S. State Department. From 1971until 1972, attended courses on foreign policy. From 1972 to 1974, served as a ministercounselorat the U.S. embassy in the USSR. From 1975 until 1978, served as a deputydirector of the Department of the Near East and South Asia. On July 12, 1978, was314

appointed as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States ofAmerica to Kabul.The biography seemed brief, indeed perhaps too brief for a 58-year-old diplomat,thought Vladimir. But why would the Americans provide the Afghans with a more detailedbiography? This was sufficient. What seemed unusual was the disparate nature of theregions where the ambassador had been posted. Is this suspicious? It could be, if onesuspected that Dubs worked for the CIA. If not, then the resume seemed to be normal, sincethat appeared to be the way things were done at the U.S. State Department.The period of Dubs’s career around 1973 piqued the analyst’s interest. He read insome British journals that Dubs had spent time in Chile, and was even involved as anAmerican handler of the Pinochet plot against the lawful Chilean president, SalvadorAllende. According to this official biography of Dubs, that never happened. It states thatstarting in 1972, he was in the Soviet Union, being watched by us.While reviewing the material in the newspaper articles, Khotyaev made notes in hisnotebook. That was his necessary routine, as it helped him analyze materials from opensources.“So,” Vladimir was summarizing, “according to the information that Osadchiy hadshared during the morning meeting, Adolph Dubs was seen in the same Hotel Kabul in thecompany of people who looked very similar to the terrorists on the morning of February13, shortly before his capture. What could the ambassador of the United States have incommon with these murky persons? Why, when going to the office, did he put toiletries inhis briefcase, as if he were going on a lengthy trip? Why did he so easily permit strangers to315

appointed as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States ofAmerica <strong>to</strong> Kabul.<strong>The</strong> biography seemed brief, indeed perhaps <strong>to</strong>o brief for a 58-year-old diplomat,thought Vladimir. But why would the Americans provide the Afghans with a more detailedbiography? This was sufficient. What seemed unusual was the disparate nature of theregions where the ambassador had been posted. Is this suspicious? It could be, if onesuspected that Dubs worked for the CIA. If not, then the resume seemed <strong>to</strong> be normal, sincethat appeared <strong>to</strong> be the way things were done at the U.S. State Department.<strong>The</strong> period of Dubs’s career around 1973 piqued the analyst’s interest. He read insome British journals that Dubs had spent time in Chile, and was even involved as anAmerican handler of the Pinochet plot against the lawful Chilean president, SalvadorAllende. According <strong>to</strong> this official biography of Dubs, that never happened. It states thatstarting in 1972, he was in the Soviet Union, being watched by us.While reviewing the material in the newspaper articles, Khotyaev made notes in hisnotebook. That was his necessary routine, as it helped him analyze materials from opensources.“So,” Vladimir was summarizing, “according <strong>to</strong> the information that Osadchiy hadshared during the morning meeting, Adolph Dubs was seen in the same Hotel Kabul in thecompany of people who looked very similar <strong>to</strong> the terrorists on the morning of February13, shortly before his capture. What could the ambassador of the United States have incommon with these murky persons? Why, when going <strong>to</strong> the office, did he put <strong>to</strong>iletries inhis briefcase, as if he were going on a lengthy trip? Why did he so easily permit strangers <strong>to</strong>315

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