The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

Security Officer Bakhturin, KGB Officer Kabanov, and Dadykin, the adviser to BagramAirbase’s head of intelligence, as well as four Zenit officers. At about eleven in the morning,the Il-76 safely landed at Bagram.The stage was set for the decisive—and most dangerous—phase of OperationRainbow.Immediately after landing, the Kabul group awaiting the plane’s arrival, as well as thenewly-arrived “Moscovites,” began to set about their duties. Boris Kabanov handed Glotovthe diplomatic courier documents and the license plate for the truck. One of the Zenitoperatives drove the truck out of the airplane, attached the license plate, and settled behindthe wheel. The newly arrived officers boarded the embassy bus. The airplane was quicklyunloaded and the auto group proceeded to Kabul without delay. Before he left the airbase,Glotov ordered the pilots, “We will return in about three and a half hours. Watch theentrance to the airdrome. As soon as you see the cars returning, start the engines and beprepared for immediate departure.”Nothing unexpected happened as the convoy left the airdrome. The Afghans guardingthe base were accustomed to heavy cargo planes arriving daily from the Soviet Union andunloading all sorts of things. Usually no one bothered to examine the cargo. Whatever wasbrought into Afghanistan was perceived to be fraternal Soviet assistance.It only took an hour and a half for the bus and the truck, accompanied by Bakhturin’ssedan, to reach the gates of the Zenit villa. The bus was immediately driven inside thecourtyard and the truck backed into the opening of the garage. The operatives quicklyunloaded containers from the truck and brought them into the house. Sarwari squeezedhimself into the snug container with difficulty. As Gulabzoi and Watanjar were more577