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

The leadership of the Central Committee of the CPSU asked me to give youbrotherly communist greetings, and to assure you that it highly values your contribution tothe revolution,” added Pandzhsheri.“I will be sure to mention this in my address to the Afghan people, which will beaired tonight,” promised Amin. “Is the TV crew already here?”“They are waiting for you to finish,” explained Jandad. “They are downstairs on theground floor. The head of the Political Directorate of the army, Iqbal, is with them.”It was planned that Amin would explain the reasons for the appearance of the Soviettroops in Afghanistan during his address to the people. In particular, he would declare thatthey arrived according to the behest of the Afghan leadership, to protect the integrity andsovereignty of Afghanistan in the face of external aggression.After pilaf, everybody moved to a neighboring hall where tea was served. Someguests, citing urgent commitments, left for the city.Something strange happened then. Almost simultaneously, everybody began to feelill. They were overwhelmed by a terrible sleepiness, the likes of which nobody had beforeexperienced. Misak, the minister of finance, anxiously asked Amin, “Perhaps the food wasbad? Perhaps somebody added something to it?”“Don’t worry,” responded Amin. “My cook and the dieticians are Soviet. They testevery dish before it is served.”Misak shrugged his shoulders, and, pinning himself against the walls, rushed outsidefor fresh air. He boarded a car that awaited him and drove to the ministry. Once there, heslipped into an armchair and fell into a deep oblivion.714

Meanwhile, inside the palace there evolved a curious scene. Amin’s guests weredraped over couches and carpets, completely discombobulated. Some of them laughedhysterically. The frightened guards dashed to the telephones to call for doctors from theSoviet embassy and the Central Military Hospital.A strange illness momentarily struck everybody, except for Pandzhsheri, wholooked at his friends with surprise. Amin, too, was affected. His guards, holding the generalsecretary’s limp body, helped him to a couch, where the master of the palace fell into a deepsleep.It seemed as though on his second try, the “cook” did not fail. The poison that hadbeen mixed in with the soup worked exactly as it was supposed to. However, thereremained flaws in the operation. First, the poison acted immediately, instead of later thatevening, when the capture of the palace was planned. Secondly, the people who plannedthe operation did not foresee the impact of the “insignificant” factor involving theintervention of medical professionals, including Soviet doctors, who arrived to the palaceimmediately in an effort to save Amin, led by Valayat Habibi, the head of the CentralHospital. General Habibi and his deputy, two Soviet colonels (military physicians), twodoctors from the embassy, and nurses were mobilized to attend to the crisis in Tajbeg.Ambassador Tabeyev personally sent embassy physicians, as he was unaware of the specialoperation.Some guests had to be immediately evacuated to the hospital. Some had theirstomachs pumped in the palace. The most attention was given to Comrade Amin. Hisstomach was pumped and IVs were administered. Major Jandad ordered the immediatearrest of all persons in charge of cooking and serving dishes that day. He also ordered all of715

“<strong>The</strong> leadership of the Central Committee of the CPSU asked me <strong>to</strong> give youbrotherly communist greetings, and <strong>to</strong> assure you that it highly values your contribution <strong>to</strong>the revolution,” added Pandzhsheri.“I will be sure <strong>to</strong> mention this in my address <strong>to</strong> the Afghan people, which will beaired <strong>to</strong>night,” promised Amin. “Is the TV crew already here?”“<strong>The</strong>y are waiting for you <strong>to</strong> finish,” explained Jandad. “<strong>The</strong>y are downstairs on theground floor. <strong>The</strong> head of the Political Direc<strong>to</strong>rate of the army, Iqbal, is with them.”It was planned that Amin would explain the reasons for the appearance of the Soviettroops in <strong>Afghanistan</strong> during his address <strong>to</strong> the people. In particular, he would declare thatthey arrived according <strong>to</strong> the behest of the Afghan leadership, <strong>to</strong> protect the integrity andsovereignty of <strong>Afghanistan</strong> in the face of external aggression.After pilaf, everybody moved <strong>to</strong> a neighboring hall where tea was served. Someguests, citing urgent commitments, left for the city.Something strange happened then. Almost simultaneously, everybody began <strong>to</strong> feelill. <strong>The</strong>y were overwhelmed by a terrible sleepiness, the likes of which nobody had beforeexperienced. Misak, the minister of finance, anxiously asked Amin, “Perhaps the food wasbad? Perhaps somebody added something <strong>to</strong> it?”“Don’t worry,” responded Amin. “My cook and the dieticians are Soviet. <strong>The</strong>y testevery dish before it is served.”Misak shrugged his shoulders, and, pinning himself against the walls, rushed outsidefor fresh air. He boarded a car that awaited him and drove <strong>to</strong> the ministry. Once there, heslipped in<strong>to</strong> an armchair and fell in<strong>to</strong> a deep oblivion.714

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