The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

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water has such healing properties that it can raise people from the dead.”Karmal grinned in response. His health was never of concern to him. He nevercomplained about it. He was more bothered by inactivity, although at first, a year ago, hehad perceived his forced departure from Afghanistan as salvation.Finding himself in Prague in July 1978 and engaging in his new ambassadorialresponsibilities, he initially felt at ease, as if he had just been liberated from an enormousburden. He was a professional revolutionary who had spent thirty years of his life inpolitical struggle, and without any hesitation was prepared to continue his revolutionarypath. However, everything that had happened in the last few months, beginning from April27, weighed heavily on him, and seemed to be unnatural and inherently dangerous for himand his beloved Afghanistan. Although Karmal was a fighter to the core, he was absolutelyunable to inflict violence or indulge in intrigues. He was an idealist who perceived themoral dangers of “the building of communism” too literally.Karmal’s character and his revolutionary career, which were steady and open-faced,were highly respected among his allies and within the broad circles of democratic forces.However, everything changed a year ago. The events of April 27, the unexpected revolutionthat turned into a bloodbath, felt like an open wound in his soul.A year earlier, having found himself in the heart of Europe, in the beautiful old cityof Prague, he suddenly realized that the hated Amin was far away, which meant that all thehumiliations inflicted by Amin were also far away. He thought that he did not have to bearresponsibility any longer for what was happening in Afghanistan, that he would become adiplomat representing his country. He thought that he could finally take a break from theincessant hostilities between Parcham and Khalq, the animosity that evolved into Amin’s490
loody war against his allies. He was grateful for having survived, for having received thisopportunity to take a break, even if a short one. He needed to rest, to get his thoughts inorder, to ponder the future.The new DRA ambassador’s residence was a three-story mansion in one of the elitedistricts of Prague. He was allocated a black Tatra and an experienced Czech driver, as wellas another car for the needs of his family. Babrak, his wife Mahbuba, their two sons and twodaughters, and his personal secretary, Abdullah Bahor, settled in the mansion.Very soon, Karmal, as expected by protocol, presented his credentials to theCzechoslovak president. Gustav Gusak asked him questions about Afghanistan and theApril Revolution with sincere interest. Karmal eagerly responded, but did not share toomany details with Gusak.The first few weeks went well, almost too well to last. Karmal walked a lot, visitedmuseums with his children, and took the family on road trips around Prague. They visitedcastles and temples. However, by the middle of August his mood had sharply deteriorated.Karmal turned tense and gloomy. He spent an increasing amount of time in his office alone.News arrived from Kabul that the remaining Parchamis, led by Keshtmand, had attemptedto carry out a coup d’etat. There was very little specific information. It was unclear whetherthe Parchamis had only discussed the possibility of rebelling against the Khalqis, or hadactually committed such actions. Regardless, Taraki and Amin took advantage of thesituation to finish off their opponents. Keshtmand and his allies were arrested, thrown inprison, tortured, and proclaimed to be enemies of the revolution and the Afghan people, aswell as agents of imperialism.Karmal immediately understood that his quiet life was over. It was clear that he and491
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Chapter 1:VIRUS: How the invasion o
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arranged meeting point for the emer
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that Orlov-Morozov wrote to the Cen
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political situation developing in t
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as accomplices, received long-term
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World War II, Prince Daoud Khan, th
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“Can you imagine, Comrade General
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no idea that some destructive polit
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General Gorelov was particularly co
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ascent. One plane, flying low above
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would retrieve vodka along with gla
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laid down on the couch. He felt pre
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possible contingency. Any unforesee
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In July 1973, Major Qadir and his g
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the Parcham faction, also became mi
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the military transport division of
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on the morning of April 27, the off
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there were passwords. I think Amin
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commander suddenly stopped and turn
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in the lead tank, which was compris
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KGB colleagues, exiting the embassy
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married?”“I wonder whose side t
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detachments. The analyst of the Res
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front of the airport and drove back
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complained to him, “Your trade re
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“What’s wrong? Should I call a
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awaiting further instructions. My a
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well-prepared speech that touched u
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Youth”) in the 1940s. Babrak also
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eally need to act a year ago, becau
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After Daoud’s visit to Moscow, th
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that could be leveled against me or
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looming in the fields, to be handed
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“And what about Daoud?”“I don
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sent the commander of the President
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another Central Committee member, t
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forces in the country, which had be
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explosions in the night sky. Only a
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When the bodies were removed from t
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Chapter 2:“We Knocked Out Their T
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deputy resident gave Valery an indi
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trusted the deputy resident, who wa
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Alexander Victorovich puffed his pi
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As evening came, the city was shrou
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honor, religion, and property, we d
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evolution and kill the president if
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theory, thinks as if the Pashtun
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analyst’s intentions.***The morni
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Vladimir Alexandrovich was accustom
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intelligence officers, yet they wer
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“He thinks that he will recover s
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Three years ago, General Leonov was
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Politburo would be unpredictable. S
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Tomorrow? What time? I think it’s
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During the meeting, the issues of A
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institutions. Afghan special servic
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to prepare him to work in Afghanist
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favor, and inquired as to the natur
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“We will take care of all funding
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services, and to discuss the budget
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was short, without a moustache desp
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children, and myself—and for the
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“Yes guys, this list is extraordi
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This time, General Zaplatin headed
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through Reuters? Do we not have our
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much to discuss.Ulyanovsky started
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enewed force.“According to our fo
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***One evening Starostin was called
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Parcham officers were passive on th
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operative boss,” mused the deputy
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glad that the Soviet comrades had a
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wasn’t involved in any affairs of
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the April Revolution.”The ministe
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do.”“I have no doubt that we wi
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invited to meet with Minister of Fo
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thirty of them. Two of them were im
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decision. The Afghans listened to h
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coordinate recommendations with eac
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April Revolution.Then Karmal took t
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low would be delivered that would u
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“Because they are Parchamis.”
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Having decided to marry his current
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ambassador. He, on the one hand, ca
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the state and party, which would me
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Bobrak?”This was the extent of th
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Indeed, there would be many more So
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Kharazov was tasked by the Central
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courtyard.”“Yes, of course.”
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again.”With a clear sense of reli
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counterintelligence managed to neut
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treatment. He thought that he would
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intervention. He had a very vague i
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interpretation of events. However,
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Amin interrupted him coldly: “I w
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his tormentors to kill him.“Every
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should ask your colleagues to be mo
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years earlier, he was offered a pos
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“Vladimir Alexandrovich,” begge
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he intended to play his own game. I
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was so enamored by the ideology of
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in Russian, “Do chego zhe mir tes
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Starostin often would run into Frye
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were to stay for another year or tw
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“I think that, from the U.S. pers
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leaders were convinced that the Sov
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Thinking about Americans, Valery re
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cannot, with full certainty, qualif
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As Surnin predicted, a CIA operativ
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wish was for them to make the Afgha
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Listening to Boris Nikolayevich, Bo
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until Bogdanov took the floor. He d
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doubts as to the old Communist warr
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simply didn’t have the means to o
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one hand, there was truth to this s
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auspices of the “National Pashtun
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this version of events becomes the
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Kryuchkov remained silent, digestin
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‘true communist’ and his friend
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Babrak Karmal looked extremely conc
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“Think, who could receive this Ba
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Preparations for the first state vi
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The papers also published Comrade T
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young people at the square, told th
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influential Islamist organizations.
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him as though considering their con
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Politburo superseded all protocol.
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with obvious Soviet participation w
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“I am working, Leonid Ilyich!”
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Once, the professor and the future
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As soon as they entered Dvoryankov
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Khan, Valery treated Dvoryankov to
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Sometimes, one should act extremely
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ecame a colony of Britain. Afghan t
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“Valery, do you think that we wou
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in the committee by a bureaucrat fr
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300 Afghani, according to an exchan
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The decree authorized the re-exprop
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Having said goodbye to him, Valery
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Nikolai Alexandrovich Dvoryankov di
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American intelligence services, eve
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***Sergei Bakhturin, an assistant t
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wife were staying in the room. Vese
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On February 13, a reception in hono
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to invite the archaeologist to spea
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a little over two hours to fulfill
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keep hostages in captivity. In othe
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was discovered that the gas in the
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“But how would the safety of Mr.
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“But then you should realize that
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are not as alert. People are more a
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newspaper. He settled on the name G
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“‘The security operatives, havi
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get inside his car? How can his cal
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“Wipe your tears,” he said in a
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differs from the way they think as
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“He told me to pick up my cleats
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describing what had transpired in H
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“I wonder who this person is? I h
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Starostin was not surprised by what
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Badruddin Bahes was close to Muslim
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nationalist and anti-Soviet. Howeve
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while he ruminated, then stared abs
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A: We failed to capture the terrori
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Question from a correspondent of Th
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flag on it. The U.S. ambassador was
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7. Who were the terrorists? It seem
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perceived at the Center? It would s
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Chapter 5:Rebellion in Herat - Firs
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struggle had become a historical le
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Revolution.“I understand that you
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evolutionary, anti-party, and again
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architectural monuments, and other
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een assumed that the Soviets in Afg
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“All of our leaders are waiting f
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spoke with Amin,” Gromyko added.
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decide to send them to Afghanistan?
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mistakes that they have made. Even
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It was a brilliant ploy. Everybody
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necessary to justify possible milit
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Unexpectedly, Andropov moved to sup
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this government. But can our troops
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military divisions had been deploye
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e illiterate his whole life, and to
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economic reforms as the solutions.
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conversation. “I would like to in
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look of satisfaction. He motioned,
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in connection with the additional m
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ased on the Bolshevik experience. F
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would flee to Pakistan after the de
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General Staff for his ruthless exec
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crucial decisions in complex situat
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and respectful when he met with the
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eason Ivanov did not fall prey to s
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Morozov, Khotyaev, and Starostin to
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Marxist-Leninist theory at the time
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violating their sacred duty.”Osad
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community, and the sinfulness of se
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“Unfortunately, this is not alway
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attempting to build socialism in su
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“In an attempt to halt anti-gover
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5. Confidential contacts with S. A.
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factions. The document mentioned th
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with their requests for direct invo
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armed opposition.Further into his m
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esidencies. Halbaiev, the commander
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discussed, Comrade Amin appeared to
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authority. They figured that the mo
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the stage of advanced capitalism on
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Safronchuk.Amin pretended to be ast
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danger to him. However, it is possi
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example, what was the purpose of Am
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“This is what happened,” began
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Ivanov hesitated. There was a silen
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special typewriter. He also had to
Page 440 and 441: influence. This topic was last disc
Page 442 and 443: paratroopers, disguised in aviation
Page 444 and 445: consequences of the confrontation b
Page 446 and 447: the organizational talents of Hafiz
Page 448 and 449: Persian Gulf.Détente was coming to
Page 450 and 451: duration of the war in Afghanistan.
Page 452 and 453: eported and objectively interpreted
Page 454 and 455: countries, including Iran, Pakistan
Page 456 and 457: officers took a seven-month-long co
Page 458 and 459: Glotov and Alexander Dolmatov were
Page 460 and 461: You will be assisting me in special
Page 462 and 463: was surprised to find out that not
Page 464 and 465: The taxi driver sensed that his pas
Page 466 and 467: and PGU with great attention.“It
Page 468 and 469: “Valery, you should meet with Gul
Page 470 and 471: ***Major General Zaplatin was very
Page 472 and 473: Zaplatin sternly glanced at the int
Page 474 and 475: The Afghan understood that the Sovi
Page 476 and 477: them.“Finally, here is the most i
Page 478 and 479: neighboring Pakistan to become a re
Page 480 and 481: Afghanistan. Comrade Taraki is faci
Page 482 and 483: deal with Amin work? Where do the o
Page 484 and 485: “It looks like the situation with
Page 486 and 487: analysts in the International Depar
Page 488 and 489: 1. Find a way to remove H. Amin fro
Page 492 and 493: the other leaders of the faction wh
Page 494 and 495: was burning our hearts. We simply c
Page 496 and 497: carry out a coup d’etat by overth
Page 498 and 499: indignation of Czech citizens watch
Page 500 and 501: global revolutionary movement. That
Page 502 and 503: workers, avant-garde peasants, and
Page 504 and 505: Council in leading the party and st
Page 506 and 507: that is happening behind my back.
Page 508 and 509: Petrov responded sternly, briefly s
Page 510 and 511: clear to him that he had to return
Page 512 and 513: statement without the support of th
Page 514 and 515: There were also several plain-cloth
Page 516 and 517: People’s Palace, where a joint me
Page 518 and 519: position within the leadership of t
Page 520 and 521: greeting, he informed me that Amin
Page 522 and 523: Alexander Mikhailovich Puzanov, Sov
Page 524 and 525: I suggested that we kick them out i
Page 526 and 527: your man or Amin’s man?”“He w
Page 528 and 529: his friends had already been arrest
Page 530 and 531: By some strange coincidence, all of
Page 532 and 533: party, demanding that he remove the
Page 534 and 535: Afghan school teacher, Valery decid
Page 536 and 537: path. We must do everything possibl
Page 538 and 539: Taraki called Amin and spoke in Pas
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esolution. He was now in control of
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in an open power struggle. Or perha
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the Afghans? Maybe we should just h
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had helped create. It was clear tha
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activists.After he drafted the cabl
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“No, thank you. I’d rather she
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ecognized leader of the democratic
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the couch to flip through the Sovie
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custody of the Armed Forces of Afgh
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“I don’t think that will ever h
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you over to Amin,” Starostin repl
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Taraki, his family, or his allies.
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second truck would monitor the inte
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currency. Boris Semyonovich ordered
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session so that we might hear his e
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disappearance of Sarwari and the fo
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eplacing him, why did you shelter a
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interlocutor, ignoring Kurilov’s
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issued cargo boxes.These preparatio
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compact, they faced less difficulty
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and the convoy continued its drive
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suggested that he thoroughly clean
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opposition figures was an obvious e
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“So Taraki’s time is over?” a
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said Zaplatin emphatically. Ustinov
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“This is good. Please tell me, wh
Page 592 and 593:
military intervention.” But it al
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expressed.“It is now clear that w
Page 596 and 597:
We were left untouched for the next
Page 598 and 599:
Chapter 8:Death Sentence“The city
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living. They knew that the armed fo
Page 602 and 603:
were expelled from local authoritie
Page 604 and 605:
soon considered to be equivalent to
Page 606 and 607:
In the middle of October, military
Page 608 and 609:
The next morning, Bogdanov’s peop
Page 610 and 611:
“We ought to serve,” the ambass
Page 612 and 613:
the translation, was shocked. It wa
Page 614 and 615:
“May I speak to you not according
Page 616 and 617:
In concluding his speech, Amin said
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contribution to this transformation
Page 620 and 621:
It was clear that the Center had to
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circumstances. All conversations of
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attaché reported, “Amin managed
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doctors, he continued to smoke his
Page 628 and 629:
services, which we are currently in
Page 630 and 631:
“We’ve heard this before, Andre
Page 632 and 633:
and hydrogen bombs. He was the mini
Page 634 and 635:
The results of the discussion were
Page 636 and 637:
If facts indicating a change in Ami
Page 638 and 639:
minister understood the difficultie
Page 640 and 641:
“We can bring in some of our troo
Page 642 and 643:
Having returned to Kabul, Gorelov s
Page 644 and 645:
The helicopter brought Zaplatin to
Page 646 and 647:
intervention in Afghanistan. Ustino
Page 648 and 649:
Soviet Union. The first secretary o
Page 650 and 651:
Collectively, all of those factors
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state. They would be informed as to
Page 654 and 655:
additional specific instructions ha
Page 656 and 657:
a hill, and was comparatively vulne
Page 658 and 659:
performed culinary miracles, partic
Page 660 and 661:
consulted about ways to install pow
Page 662 and 663:
you are constantly engaged in intri
Page 664 and 665:
possible only under the condition o
Page 666 and 667:
To make a long story short, by the
Page 668 and 669:
doubt flickered across his face. So
Page 670 and 671:
Karmal’s faith in popular support
Page 672 and 673:
Babrak Karmal was an educated and i
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thanks to the pilot’s skill and p
Page 676 and 677:
head of state. He wanted to be rece
Page 678 and 679:
The final decision that day was not
Page 680 and 681:
“Well, Volodya, it is time to act
Page 682 and 683:
Aligned Movement, of which Afghanis
Page 684 and 685:
Kryuchkov had to issue the signal t
Page 686 and 687:
“At this point, you should stop s
Page 688 and 689:
The “cook” Mikhail T. poisoned
Page 690 and 691:
The poison worked, but strangely, o
Page 692 and 693:
“Everybody is here,” Kurilov as
Page 694 and 695:
“Is it possible to see a floor pl
Page 696 and 697:
Fear of potential failure played a
Page 698 and 699:
training the special forces units a
Page 700 and 701:
“It would be good for you to send
Page 702 and 703:
Amin was happy to hear that. He see
Page 704 and 705:
Akhromeev, the deputy head of the G
Page 706 and 707:
spectacularly into the mountains su
Page 708 and 709:
pancakes, veal, and traditional bak
Page 710 and 711:
A week later, Osadchiy summoned Sta
Page 712 and 713:
“What do you think of me, Vilior
Page 714 and 715:
“The leadership of the Central Co
Page 716 and 717:
the remaining food and drink to be
Page 718 and 719:
In total, twenty-five Afghans, incl
Page 720 and 721:
more decisive action in Afghanistan
Page 722 and 723:
But even the “special people,”
Page 724 and 725:
about their sources of information
Page 726 and 727:
care of. What happened to the famil
Page 728 and 729:
Naturally, Soviet military interven
Page 730 and 731:
However, not only did Taraki not cr
Page 732 and 733:
BibliographyBooksAblazov, V. I. Afg
Page 734 and 735:
Internal Affairs Advisers about the
Page 736 and 737:
[Afghanistan: Opposition and the Au
Page 738 and 739:
from 1977-1983.Biryukov, L. I. —
Page 740:
Shah Wali — A prominent member of
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