The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

13.07.2015 Views

intervention in Afghanistan. Ustinov received Zaplatin then, having just returned from aPolitburo meeting.In those December days, Zaplatin was kicked from office to office, first sent toOdessa, then to L’vov, under the pretext of studying the moods of the Afghans who hadbeen trained in Soviet military schools. Once, in the corridor of the ministry, he bumpedinto the very same general who had lied to him about his daughter over the phone. Thegeneral was embarrassed. “It wasn’t my idea,” he said. “My bosses told me what to say and Isaid it, verbatim.”Zaplatin never returned to Kabul. The rumor in the Afghan capital among theadvisers was that Vasily Petrovich had been expelled from the Communist Party andretired from the army. That was untrue. He served for a long time in the Soviet Union, butwithout any hope of advancing his career.***Fikryat Ahmetjanovich Tabeyev was appointed as the Soviet ambassador toAfghanistan. There was an understandable degree of excitement in anticipation of hisarrival in Kabul. The appearance of a new ambassador is always an important milestone inthe life of any diplomatic mission. All “clean” diplomats, particularly the senior ones, werepreparing for Tabeyev’s arrival. Both residents and the KGB representative werestrategizing how best to construct their relationship with the new ambassador, specifyingwhat they ought to share with him and what they should keep to themselves. Particularlyanxious were the accountant, the property manager, the cook, and the gardener. Theywanted to know how deeply Tabeyev got involved in financial and business affairs, whatsort of food he liked, and what his attitude might be regarding the vegetable garden, with646

its rows of cucumbers and carrots, that his predecessor had developed on the embassygrounds.The property manager went to see Ravil’ Musin, a TASS correspondent. After a longand painful prelude, he turned to the real purpose of his visit.“I know, Ravil’, that you are a Tatar,” began the manager.“Yes, I am a real Tatar,” agreed Musin.“So tell me then, what kind of banyas do Tatars like? Do you think Tabeyev will likeour embassy’s sauna?”“I’ve never been to this sauna myself,” confessed Musin. “I was never invited.However, I can tell you almost certainly that Tabeyev will not like it. We Tatars like to go toreal Russian banyas, with a hot steam room and fresh birch twigs. By the way, what you calla ‘Russian banya’ is in fact a Tatar banya. The Russians borrowed this from us long ago.”The manager had little interest in the historical precedence of the Russian banya,but he had gotten the information he needed; it was imperative that the sauna be rebuilt.“Ravil’, our cook is going to come by to talk to you. Could you talk to him a bit aboutTatar cuisine?”“Have him come, although I confess I know very little about cooking. I know thenames of Tatar dishes and can recognize the taste, but how they’re made is anotherquestion.”Kabul buzzed with rumors in anticipation of Tabeyev’s arrival. Some informedpeople recalled that he became the head of the Tatar regional party organization at the ageof thirty two. He was the first to become a party leader at such a young age in the post-war647

intervention in <strong>Afghanistan</strong>. Ustinov received Zaplatin then, having just returned from aPolitburo meeting.In those December days, Zaplatin was kicked from office <strong>to</strong> office, first sent <strong>to</strong>Odessa, then <strong>to</strong> L’vov, under the pretext of studying the moods of the Afghans who hadbeen trained in Soviet military schools. Once, in the corridor of the ministry, he bumpedin<strong>to</strong> the very same general who had lied <strong>to</strong> him about his daughter over the phone. <strong>The</strong>general was embarrassed. “It wasn’t my idea,” he said. “My bosses <strong>to</strong>ld me what <strong>to</strong> say and Isaid it, verbatim.”Zaplatin never returned <strong>to</strong> Kabul. <strong>The</strong> rumor in the Afghan capital among theadvisers was that Vasily Petrovich had been expelled from the Communist Party andretired from the army. That was untrue. He served for a long time in the Soviet Union, butwithout any hope of advancing his career.***Fikryat Ahmetjanovich Tabeyev was appointed as the Soviet ambassador <strong>to</strong><strong>Afghanistan</strong>. <strong>The</strong>re was an understandable degree of excitement in anticipation of hisarrival in Kabul. <strong>The</strong> appearance of a new ambassador is always an important miles<strong>to</strong>ne inthe life of any diplomatic mission. All “clean” diplomats, particularly the senior ones, werepreparing for Tabeyev’s arrival. Both residents and the KGB representative werestrategizing how best <strong>to</strong> construct their relationship with the new ambassador, specifyingwhat they ought <strong>to</strong> share with him and what they should keep <strong>to</strong> themselves. Particularlyanxious were the accountant, the property manager, the cook, and the gardener. <strong>The</strong>ywanted <strong>to</strong> know how deeply Tabeyev got involved in financial and business affairs, whatsort of food he liked, and what his attitude might be regarding the vegetable garden, with646

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