The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

services, and to discuss the budget for operational needs. He also shared with Sarwari importantinformation regarding a situation in Pakistani leadership that he had just received from theCenter.Sarwari, who had beaten several enemies of the revolution to death in his office earlier thatday, looked at Ershov sadly with his brown eyes. “Which plans? Which budgets?” Sarwari wasappointed to this important revolutionary position to eliminate enemies mercilessly. So he did,day and night. And now this small Soviet comrade suggests that he get engaged in somebureaucratic affairs.They agreed that the next day Ivan Ivanovich would introduce Sarwari to the KGBoperatives who had arrived with him. The former pilot would send his people who knew Russianto Ershov. Those people would be in constant contact with Ershov’s group and would assist intranslating the necessary documents into Dari and Pashto.Saying goodbye, Sarwari said that his office doors were always open to Ivan Ivanovich.Introducing his assistant to Ershov, the head of security services said with pride, “This is not justan officer, this is a lion.” The assistant drove Ershov back home to the embassy.***An operative at the KGB Residency, Yura Kitaev, was in charge of security for the Sovietcolony in Afghanistan. His “cover” position was a vice-consul at the embassy. Besides otherresponsibilities, he was in charge of the very difficult task of maintaining contacts with Sovietwomen in Afghanistan.Who were they? They were women who married Afghans, mostly those Afghan studentswho, by the thousands, studied at Soviet universities beginning in the 1960s. There were lots ofthings that were very attractive about Afghan men for Soviet girls. They were more exotic and130