The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

policy adequate consideration.“But we remain members of the Non-Aligned Movement,” Dost objected mildly, “andour revolution proclaimed national democratic goals.”Demonstratively ignoring his deputy, Amin waved his hand.“Don’t pay attention to him, Comrade Safronchuk. My deputy just recently became aparty member. He doesn’t have sufficient Marxist stamina and doesn’t appreciate theessence of the April Revolution, but we will teach him.”Ambassador Puzanov prodded Safronchuk in his rib and whispered to him to noteven consider raising objections with the Afghan foreign minister.In late May of 1979, Safronchuk arrived in Afghanistan for the third time, now asdiplomatic adviser and personal representative of the Politburo member Gromyko.Safronchuk was a very personable, confident man, who very quickly made friendsboth within and outside the Soviet colony. He appeared to be very different from Puzanov,who was always stuffy and buttoned up, a perfect example of the Soviet nomenklatura.Vasily Stepanovich had an ability to crack fresh jokes, even at serious meetings. At everyreception he was surrounded by diplomats, bureaucrats, and journalists, who were veryeager to talk with a Russian who was so different from the other Soviet officials.Americans, after observing Safronchuk, came to their own conclusions. Theydecided that this particular person was sent to Kabul with a special mission, the goal ofwhich was to affect regime change in Afghanistan. Having analyzed the dossier of thediplomatic adviser (he had worked in the Soviet Mission at the United Nations, which wasalways a cover for the KGB) and noticing that he was freely defying the nomenklatura’sunwritten rules, the Americans concluded that Safronchuk must be endowed with great423