The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

deployed to Kabul, as it was an opportunity for him to change his routine and dedicatehimself to new challenges. Ivanov’s wife had died recently, and the general had a difficulttime adjusting to that loss.B.S. arrived in Kabul quietly and incognito, as a man of his profession should.Osadchiy and Bogdanov met the representative of the Center at the airport. BorisSemyonovich settled into a two-room apartment on the territory of the ambassador’sresidence. He was assigned the modest office of the deputy resident in charge ofcounterintelligence that was located on the second floor of the embassy. The first twomeetings that Ivanov held were with the KGB representative and the KGB resident. Helistened to detailed reports about the political situation in the country. He was especiallyinterested in the mechanism that opponents of the regime used most frequently toorganize anti-government actions. Ivanov inquired about his colleagues’ opinionsregarding the use of intelligence capabilities to undermine counter-revolutionary forcesfrom within. He asked for the characteristics of the Afghan leaders, their worldviews, andbusiness and personal qualities. He asked Bogdanov and Osadchiy to describe the situationin their respective operative groups. They agreed that both colonels and their deputieswould report to him all of the latest information, which would be formatted as officialreports. However, Ivanov wanted to ensure that if any operative received important orurgent information, it would be forwarded directly to him immediately, regardless of thetime of day or his whereabouts.Boris Semyonovich understood well that his arrival in Afghanistan would impactBogdanov’s ambitions to become the senior KGB man in Afghanistan and subjugateOsadchiy and his group to Bogdanov himself. That was why Ivanov was deliberately tactful393