The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University
The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University
your man or Amin’s man?”“He will listen to the order of the one who first gives him an order.”“Then you have lost, son. And remember, my friends, I will not kill a fly, even to savemyself. Let my destiny be determined by the party and by the people.”After that we retired to our offices. In the evening, around 8 p.m., I was informed thatAmin had allegedly made a public broadcast on the radio announcing that he had rooted outour conspiratorial plot and that all four of us were removed by him from our positions. Iimmediately called the palace. “It can’t be!” Taraki exclaimed when I told him.Without wasting a minute, we went to the Soviet embassy to ask our Soviet comrades foradvice.***On that day, Valery Starostin was preparing his house for a reception for youngforeign diplomats planned for September 17. He had just returned from the Pul-e Heshti,where he had bought a string of lights to decorate the lawn in front of his house, when thephone rang. Gulabzoi’s voice, normally quiet and measured, sounded extremely agitated.He said that all of them, Minister of the Interior Watanjar, Head of AGSA Sarwari, andFrontier Affairs Minister Mazdouryar were currently sitting in his apartment. Theyurgently wanted to meet with Starostin and inform him of the important circumstancesrelated to the worsening political situation. Gulabzoi could not restrain his emotions andexclaimed with a tragic voice that a coup d’etat was underway in the country, that therevolution was in danger, and that Comrade Taraki was in peril.Starostin asked where and how they could organize a meeting with Gulabzoi and hisfriends. Gulabzoi gave his address in Mikrorayon. However, he requested that Starostin not526
enter his apartment, but rather wait for Gulabzoi to come out. He said that as soon as hesaw Starostin through the window, he would come down to escort him to the location ofthe meeting.Valery went to the embassy immediately. It seemed that Osadchiy had anticipatedthat Gulabzoi might call the operative, as he was not surprised when Valery reported whathad transpired. “Tell these ministers that as long as Taraki is alive and able, the SovietUnion will not support any other individual who wants to assume Taraki’s position. We willaccept neither Amin nor any other leader. Puzanov received a cable regarding this today.Leonid Ilyich said the same in a telephone conversation with the ambassador.”After his report to Osadchiy, Valery drove to Mikrorayon as fast as he could. It turnedout that Gulabzoi’s apartment was located in a building occupied mostly by Soviets; thusthe appearance of a Soviet embassy staff member would attract little attention. Afterparking his car behind a neighboring building, Starostin approached the place identified byGulabzoi. He didn’t notice anyone who could possibly be a spy for Amin. At that momentthe situation seemed favorable. A small summer movie theater was set up in front of thehouse where the Afghan minister lived. The Russian movie “White Sun of the Desert” wasplaying. Valery stood behind the back row of movie spectators and watched the movie outof the corner of his eye while waiting for Gulabzoi to appear. An hour passed without anysign of the Afghani.The dark Afghan night descended. Human figures appeared as fleeting silhouettes inthe bleak light of windows and street lamps. As the movie was reaching its end, Afghan andSoviet women began calling from their balconies to gather their children. Valery decidednot to wait any longer. His mind was anxiously racing with questions. What if Gulabzoi and527
- Page 476 and 477: them.“Finally, here is the most i
- Page 478 and 479: neighboring Pakistan to become a re
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- 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 490 and 491: water has such healing properties t
- 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
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- 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
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- Page 530 and 531: By some strange coincidence, all of
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- 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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- Page 542 and 543: in an open power struggle. Or perha
- Page 544 and 545: the Afghans? Maybe we should just h
- Page 546 and 547: had helped create. It was clear tha
- Page 548 and 549: activists.After he drafted the cabl
- Page 550 and 551: “No, thank you. I’d rather she
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- Page 564 and 565: second truck would monitor the inte
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enter his apartment, but rather wait for Gulabzoi <strong>to</strong> come out. He said that as soon as hesaw Starostin through the window, he would come down <strong>to</strong> escort him <strong>to</strong> the location ofthe meeting.Valery went <strong>to</strong> the embassy immediately. It seemed that Osadchiy had anticipatedthat Gulabzoi might call the operative, as he was not surprised when Valery reported whathad transpired. “Tell these ministers that as long as Taraki is alive and able, the SovietUnion will not support any other individual who wants <strong>to</strong> assume Taraki’s position. We willaccept neither Amin nor any other leader. Puzanov received a cable regarding this <strong>to</strong>day.Leonid Ilyich said the same in a telephone conversation with the ambassador.”After his report <strong>to</strong> Osadchiy, Valery drove <strong>to</strong> Mikrorayon as fast as he could. It turnedout that Gulabzoi’s apartment was located in a building occupied mostly by Soviets; thusthe appearance of a Soviet embassy staff member would attract little attention. Afterparking his car behind a neighboring building, Starostin approached the place identified byGulabzoi. He didn’t notice anyone who could possibly be a spy for Amin. At that momentthe situation seemed favorable. A small summer movie theater was set up in front of thehouse where the Afghan minister lived. <strong>The</strong> Russian movie “White Sun of the Desert” wasplaying. Valery s<strong>to</strong>od behind the back row of movie specta<strong>to</strong>rs and watched the movie ou<strong>to</strong>f the corner of his eye while waiting for Gulabzoi <strong>to</strong> appear. An hour passed without anysign of the Afghani.<strong>The</strong> dark Afghan night descended. Human figures appeared as fleeting silhouettes inthe bleak light of windows and street lamps. As the movie was reaching its end, Afghan andSoviet women began calling from their balconies <strong>to</strong> gather their children. Valery decidednot <strong>to</strong> wait any longer. His mind was anxiously racing with questions. What if Gulabzoi and527
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