The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University
The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University
When the bodies were removed from the winter garden, the telephone rang. One ofthe servicemen took the phone. Having heard the voice on the end of the line, he apologizedand called the doctor.“This is Malalai, the wife of Abdul Illah. May I speak to my husband?”“I’m sorry madam, but that’s impossible.”“Where is he? What’s wrong? Is he wounded? Is he killed?”“He has been killed, madam.”“Where is the president? May I speak with him?”“Everyone—he, his wife, children, and grandchildren—have all been killed.”“Goodbye,” whispered the woman through the receiver as she hung up the phone.Malalai had known earlier that something terrible was going to happen. She knew earlierthat year, when twenty-nine-year-old Abdul Illah was appointed vice-premier and Daoud’ssuccessor for the Afghan presidency. Their second son was born then. “How lucky are we?It can’t go on like this,” thought Malalai with superstitious dread.This young and very beautiful woman knelt on her prayer rug. She prayed for peacefor the soul of her murdered husband. She didn’t pray long. When she rose from her knees,she knew exactly what she had to do. She first went to the bedroom and opened the drawerwhere a pistol was hidden. She took it and proceeded to the nursery. First she approachedthe bed of her four-year-old son. He was asleep. Feeling his mother’s presence, the sonopened his eyes and smiled at her. “You are so beautiful, my boy,” Malalai thought beforeshooting him through the forehead. The baby heard the sound of the shot, woke up, andbegan crying. Malalai rushed to his bed and shot him as well. At that moment the door ofthe nursery burst open, and the soldier who never left his post guarding their house in one88
of the streets of Karte Seh, ran in. Malalai saw the soldier, put the gun to her temple, andfired the third shot.***Members of the presidential entourage were executed throughout that day and thenext day. About one hundred people associated with Daoud were killed. All told, aboutfifteen hundred members of the military and the Presidential Guard lost their lives.Revolutionaries hunted the dispersed groups of soldiers and officers still loyal to thepresident like wolves. The hunters knew their prey from years of studying, training, andparticipating in military exercises together. Officers loyal to Daoud’s regime fought to thelast bullet, knowing all too well that they would receive no mercy.Gradually the fighting moved away from central Kabul to outlying districts. Early inthe pre-dawn morning, next to the office building of the Soviet Trade Representative andthe garage of the Soviet embassy, intense battles broke out between infantry detachmentsin a confined space lined by saplings. The battle lasted for an hour before it died down.When the sun rose over Kabul, soldiers were seen loading the remnants of the day’s battle,bodies and weapons, into army buses.While the early morning melee raged, a staff member of the Soviet TradeRepresentative office, a World War II veteran, died of heart failure. What was happening inKabul was a lethal reminder of the horrors that Mr. Ivanov had lived through fighting at thefront during World War II thirty years earlier.Ivanov was the first Soviet citizen to die because of “the great commotion” thatgripped Afghanistan on that spring morning in 1978.89
- Page 38 and 39: In July 1973, Major Qadir and his g
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- 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
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- Page 70 and 71: eally need to act a year ago, becau
- Page 72 and 73: After Daoud’s visit to Moscow, th
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- Page 78 and 79: “And what about Daoud?”“I don
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- Page 96 and 97: Alexander Victorovich puffed his pi
- Page 98 and 99: As evening came, the city was shrou
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- Page 108 and 109: Vladimir Alexandrovich was accustom
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- Page 114 and 115: Three years ago, General Leonov was
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of the streets of Karte Seh, ran in. Malalai saw the soldier, put the gun <strong>to</strong> her temple, andfired the third shot.***Members of the presidential en<strong>to</strong>urage were executed throughout that day and thenext day. About one hundred people associated with Daoud were killed. All <strong>to</strong>ld, aboutfifteen hundred members of the military and the Presidential Guard lost their lives.Revolutionaries hunted the dispersed groups of soldiers and officers still loyal <strong>to</strong> thepresident like wolves. <strong>The</strong> hunters knew their prey from years of studying, training, andparticipating in military exercises <strong>to</strong>gether. Officers loyal <strong>to</strong> Daoud’s regime fought <strong>to</strong> thelast bullet, knowing all <strong>to</strong>o well that they would receive no mercy.Gradually the fighting moved away from central Kabul <strong>to</strong> outlying districts. Early inthe pre-dawn morning, next <strong>to</strong> the office building of the Soviet Trade Representative andthe garage of the Soviet embassy, intense battles broke out between infantry detachmentsin a confined space lined by saplings. <strong>The</strong> battle lasted for an hour before it died down.When the sun rose over Kabul, soldiers were seen loading the remnants of the day’s battle,bodies and weapons, in<strong>to</strong> army buses.While the early morning melee raged, a staff member of the Soviet TradeRepresentative office, a World War II veteran, died of heart failure. What was happening inKabul was a lethal reminder of the horrors that Mr. Ivanov had lived through fighting at thefront during World War II thirty years earlier.Ivanov was the first Soviet citizen <strong>to</strong> die because of “the great commotion” thatgripped <strong>Afghanistan</strong> on that spring morning in 1978.89
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