The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University
The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University
married?”“I wonder whose side those soldiers are on. I counted about thirty armored vehiclesin just one column,” one of the operatives muttered.“Who cares whose side? Undoubtedly they will spill a lot of blood on both sides,”came a nervous response.Valery very quietly, as if speaking to himself, said, “But where are Victor and Yuri?”Everybody heard him though.Valery’s partner, the experienced officer who was supposed to go into the city withhim, jumped up and quickly ran out into the corridor, eyes leading his feet, silently. Valerynoticed that his face was mortally pale and his eyes dull, motionless.Soon the resident summoned Valery into his office.“How are you?” Osadchiy asked him in an insinuating tone. The resident consideredValery to be his friend. He was closer to him than to other officers from the KabulResidence.“I’m fine,” Valery replied cautiously.“Well, it appears your partner has suddenly fallen ill. Must be his blood pressure. Hewent to the clinic. I’m not sure who to team you up with now. Maybe you shouldn’t go thereat all.”Valery remained silent out of deference to his superior.“Okay, go on, we’ll figure something out,” concluded Osadchiy.Valery returned to the common room, considering the sudden illness of hiscolleague and the conversation that he had just had with the resident. He wasoverwhelmed by conflicting feelings. On the one hand he feared being killed, or worse,54
maimed. On the other hand, he was very curious to see what was happening in the city withhis own eyes, and he also felt the need to test himself in a truly dangerous situation.When Victor and Yuri returned to the embassy, the mood in the common roomimproved immediately. As soon as they stepped out of the car, they headed immediately tothe resident’s office. Colleagues greeted them as returning heroes in the corridor in front ofOsadchiy’s office.“What’s going on there?” “Who’s winning?” “Are there many casualties?”Yuri didn’t respond. Victor used one choice word to characterize the situation in thecity. Both entered Osadchiy’s office. Yuri came out a couple minutes later holding a notepadwith blank sheets for encrypted cables. He headed to the office of the resident’s deputy,Orlov-Morozov, to write an urgent cable to the Center. The resident then called Starostininto his office.“Victor will go with you,” he said.“Understood,” Valery responded, energized by the news. It would be a dream towork with Bubnov. Victor was his close friend. Everybody knew him as a reliable andcourageous person.“Don’t say anything to Tamara yet,” warned the resident, “otherwise she won’t beable to work. Right now she is our most important source of information.”“Certainly,” replied the operative.Tamara, Valery’s wife, worked as a Residency interpreter. While Valery was meetingwith the resident, she was sitting in a separate room with a special radio receivermonitoring the communications between different headquarters and military detachments,as well as the communications between the many different units within the military55
- Page 6: Chapter 1:VIRUS: How the invasion o
- Page 9: arranged meeting point for the emer
- Page 12 and 13: that Orlov-Morozov wrote to the Cen
- Page 14 and 15: political situation developing in t
- Page 16 and 17: as accomplices, received long-term
- Page 18 and 19: World War II, Prince Daoud Khan, th
- Page 20 and 21: “Can you imagine, Comrade General
- Page 22: no idea that some destructive polit
- Page 28 and 29: General Gorelov was particularly co
- Page 30 and 31: ascent. One plane, flying low above
- Page 32 and 33: would retrieve vodka along with gla
- Page 34 and 35: laid down on the couch. He felt pre
- Page 36 and 37: possible contingency. Any unforesee
- Page 38 and 39: In July 1973, Major Qadir and his g
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- Page 42 and 43: the military transport division of
- Page 44 and 45: on the morning of April 27, the off
- Page 46 and 47: there were passwords. I think Amin
- Page 48 and 49: commander suddenly stopped and turn
- Page 50 and 51: in the lead tank, which was compris
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- Page 56 and 57: detachments. The analyst of the Res
- Page 58 and 59: front of the airport and drove back
- Page 60 and 61: complained to him, “Your trade re
- Page 62 and 63: “What’s wrong? Should I call a
- Page 64 and 65: awaiting further instructions. My a
- Page 66 and 67: well-prepared speech that touched u
- Page 68 and 69: Youth”) in the 1940s. Babrak also
- Page 70 and 71: eally need to act a year ago, becau
- Page 72 and 73: After Daoud’s visit to Moscow, th
- Page 74 and 75: that could be leveled against me or
- Page 76 and 77: looming in the fields, to be handed
- Page 78 and 79: “And what about Daoud?”“I don
- Page 80 and 81: sent the commander of the President
- Page 82 and 83: another Central Committee member, t
- Page 84 and 85: forces in the country, which had be
- Page 86 and 87: explosions in the night sky. Only a
- Page 88 and 89: When the bodies were removed from t
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- Page 92 and 93: deputy resident gave Valery an indi
- Page 94 and 95: trusted the deputy resident, who wa
- Page 96 and 97: Alexander Victorovich puffed his pi
- Page 98 and 99: As evening came, the city was shrou
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maimed. On the other hand, he was very curious <strong>to</strong> see what was happening in the city withhis own eyes, and he also felt the need <strong>to</strong> test himself in a truly dangerous situation.When Vic<strong>to</strong>r and Yuri returned <strong>to</strong> the embassy, the mood in the common roomimproved immediately. As soon as they stepped out of the car, they headed immediately <strong>to</strong>the resident’s office. Colleagues greeted them as returning heroes in the corridor in front ofOsadchiy’s office.“What’s going on there?” “Who’s winning?” “Are there many casualties?”Yuri didn’t respond. Vic<strong>to</strong>r used one choice word <strong>to</strong> characterize the situation in thecity. Both entered Osadchiy’s office. Yuri came out a couple minutes later holding a notepadwith blank sheets for encrypted cables. He headed <strong>to</strong> the office of the resident’s deputy,Orlov-Morozov, <strong>to</strong> write an urgent cable <strong>to</strong> the Center. <strong>The</strong> resident then called Starostinin<strong>to</strong> his office.“Vic<strong>to</strong>r will go with you,” he said.“Unders<strong>to</strong>od,” Valery responded, energized by the news. It would be a dream <strong>to</strong>work with Bubnov. Vic<strong>to</strong>r was his close friend. Everybody knew him as a reliable andcourageous person.“Don’t say anything <strong>to</strong> Tamara yet,” warned the resident, “otherwise she won’t beable <strong>to</strong> work. Right now she is our most important source of information.”“Certainly,” replied the operative.Tamara, Valery’s wife, worked as a Residency interpreter. While Valery was meetingwith the resident, she was sitting in a separate room with a special radio receivermoni<strong>to</strong>ring the communications between different headquarters and military detachments,as well as the communications between the many different units within the military55
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