The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

else for the good of the April Revolution,” summed up Kryuchkov. “Their course towardsestablishing socialism is correct.”“This is most important,” Andropov agreed with Kryuchkov. “But, Volodya, don’tforget that the more successful the Afghans become, the more attention will be given to theregion by our adversaries, particularly the United States. By the way, are you watching theactivities of the Americans in Pakistan? Do you know what’s happening there now?”“We have a sense that they are still preparing for some large-scale operations there.Louis Dupree, the leading American specialist on Afghanistan, who had been expelled fromKabul in November, moved to Islamabad. The CIA operatives Lessart, Robinson, David,Brock, and others were also noticed there. It seems as though a whole group is amassingthere. According to intelligence, they are trying to establish connections with the rebelleaders and study their profiles for future cooperation. We have the impression that theCIA transferred its regional headquarters from Tehran to Islamabad. According to ourintelligence, up to 40,000 commandos—mostly Afghan refugees—are being trained incamps in Pakistan.”“You see?” Andropov grew lively. “This is only the beginning. Watch this closely.”***In August, Karmal’s brother Mahmoud Baryalai was removed from hisambassadorial post in Pakistan. As many other prominent Parchamis, he refused Amin’sorder to come to Kabul to “receive his new appointment.” He knew very well what kind of“appointment” awaited him, and therefore decided to join Babrak Karmal, who was hidingfrom Amin’s assassins in the forests of Western Czechoslovakia.247