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

a hill, and was comparatively vulnerable from the point of view of security. But for somereason this did not concern Amin. He prepared actively for the move, personally inspectingdifferent designs and furnishings for his family’s residence, his office, and the official palacehalls.In late November, Bogdanov met with the commander of the guard, Major Jandad.He had recently been in charge of protecting Comrade Taraki’s life. However, he made apolitically timely shift, and during the September revolt not only gracefully took Amin’sside, but also demonstrated his loyalty to Amin by assuming a direct role in the murder ofthe general secretary and founder of the PDPA.“Comrade Jandad,” Bogdanov addressed him through an interpreter, “we would liketo inspect the future residence of the head of state. Has everything been taken intoconsideration from the standpoint of security? Our leadership in Moscow has expressedconcern, especially considering the recent rise in action from rebels and terrorists. Wewould never be forgiven if anything were to happen to Comrade Amin.”“Certainly, certainly,” the major assured the KGB representative. “I am prepared toaccompany you for an inspection of the palace at your convenience.”The next day, Ivanov, Bogdanov, and several other KGB officers, accompanied byJandad, went on a tour of the Tajbeg. It was roughly three kilometers away from theembassy, a short trip down Darul Aman. The road led directly to the palace complex, whichconsisted of two beautiful, separately standing buildings.“This is where we will place the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff,”explained the major.656

Then the road veered to the left and was blocked by a gate. A well-reinforcedcheckpoint was located nearby.“The restricted zone begins here,” said Jandad, “about one kilometer away from theTajbeg. Here, only cars with special passes will be permitted. There is no other road leadingto the palace.”The KGB representatives managed to inspect the future residence of the Afghandictator in great detail. They combed it from the basement to Amin’s personal quarters,with its bedrooms, baths, and bars. The officers, who had received instructions in advance,noticed every minor detail, including the location of doors and windows, flights of stairs,elevators, niches in the walls, service rooms and closets, halls, and vestibules. The palacewas examined both from the standpoint of an armed assault and of potential opportunitiesfor surveillance and covert infiltration. All features were described in great detail and, onthe same day, floor plans and notes were compiled and locked in a safe.The leadership of the Center, having found out about the “field trip” via a cable,expressed reserved praise, and recommended that the agents continue their work to probefor potential approaches to the “person in question.” And then, luck smiled upon Bogdanov.While he was working as the KGB resident in Iran, Bogdanov received an internfrom the “S” Department, a future undercover intelligence officer by the name of Mikhail T.Having finished his internship, the individual expressed his desire to celebrate hisdeparture to the Soviet Union with a farewell dinner. Obviously, no restaurant would be anappropriate venue for this celebration; as it turned out, the first profession of theundercover officer had been that of a cook, and Mikhail T. suggested that he personallyserve dinner at his supervisor’s apartment. The evening was a great success. Mikhail657

a hill, and was comparatively vulnerable from the point of view of security. But for somereason this did not concern Amin. He prepared actively for the move, personally inspectingdifferent designs and furnishings for his family’s residence, his office, and the official palacehalls.In late November, Bogdanov met with the commander of the guard, Major Jandad.He had recently been in charge of protecting Comrade Taraki’s life. However, he made apolitically timely shift, and during the September revolt not only gracefully <strong>to</strong>ok Amin’sside, but also demonstrated his loyalty <strong>to</strong> Amin by assuming a direct role in the murder ofthe general secretary and founder of the PDPA.“Comrade Jandad,” Bogdanov addressed him through an interpreter, “we would like<strong>to</strong> inspect the future residence of the head of state. Has everything been taken in<strong>to</strong>consideration from the standpoint of security? Our leadership in Moscow has expressedconcern, especially considering the recent rise in action from rebels and terrorists. Wewould never be forgiven if anything were <strong>to</strong> happen <strong>to</strong> Comrade Amin.”“Certainly, certainly,” the major assured the KGB representative. “I am prepared <strong>to</strong>accompany you for an inspection of the palace at your convenience.”<strong>The</strong> next day, Ivanov, Bogdanov, and several other KGB officers, accompanied byJandad, went on a <strong>to</strong>ur of the Tajbeg. It was roughly three kilometers away from theembassy, a short trip down Darul Aman. <strong>The</strong> road led directly <strong>to</strong> the palace complex, whichconsisted of two beautiful, separately standing buildings.“This is where we will place the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff,”explained the major.656

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