The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

population. Pashto and Dari were the most widely spoken languages in the highestechelons of power. So why did the Soviets, after so many years of friendship withAfghanistan, fail to prepare a sufficient number of interpreters? There was no answer tothis question.At the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Vladimir had masteredPashto, Dari, and English. There were only two people who had wished to study Pashto inhis cohort. They disappeared soon after having received their diplomas. When Vladimirentered the Foreign Ministry, he discovered to his surprise that he was the only one in theministry capable of speaking Pashto.About a month after graduation, Vladimir was sent to work in the Soviet Embassy inKabul. Again, the situation repeated itself. He was the only one at the embassy who couldfreely communicate with Pashtuns. He was jokingly referred to as “the Pashtun nationalist”at the embassy. Four years later, in the fall of 1976, he returned to the Soviet Union andwas appointed to work at the Department of the Middle East in the Foreign Ministry. TheApril Revolution was received with great enthusiasm by the Foreign Ministry staff.Everybody thought that because the leaders of the revolution were true ideological allies,life in Afghanistan would only improve. Then Vladimir entered a graduate program at theDiplomatic Academy.Never before had he been given a chance to interpret in the Kremlin for the topleaders of the country. Moreover, according to existing government rules, he could not betrusted to carry out such an important government job, as he lacked the necessary securityclearance. It would take time to arrange this, since the State Security apparatus carried outvery thorough investigations before granting such clearance. However, an order from the261