The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

are not as alert. People are more alert in the dark. Daylight usually has a calming effect onthe psyche. Further: ‘The car was stopped not far from the American Cultural Center.’Strange place for a kidnapping,” he thought. “Lots of Americans and other foreigners arearound that area in the morning, coming to work, parking their cars. What if they hadnoticed how the Afghan transport policemen had stopped the ambassadorial vehicle flyingthe American flag and jumped into the car? Passers-by might have noticed and calledattention to what was happening. A stationary police post is located near the CulturalCenter. Somebody could start shooting. In that case, the terrorists might not have been ableto escape. Perhaps there are reasons why they were not afraid of a potential scandal, ormaybe they relied on impertinence, on the element of surprise?The firestorm lasted not longer than fifteen seconds.It seemed as though the terrorists had been taken by surprise. One lay on his backwith his feet towards the door. It seemed as though the bullets had carried him two yardsbackwards. He was wheezing and convulsing. Another terrorist was sitting on the carpet,leaning against the sofa, covering his belly with his hands. He was wounded, but alive. Hiseyes were still and glassy, and he was silently whispering a prayer. Tarun, withouthesitation, shot them both in the head. The third terrorist lay prone on the floor, jerking indeath throes. His boot was hitting the leg of a chair, making noises. Not far from him, to theright of the entrance to the bathroom, crumpled in the corner and breathing heavily, wasAmbassador Adolph Dubs. A puddle of blood was spreading under him. Tarun noticed howhis blood approached and merged with the blood of the dying terrorist.American doctors who later conducted Dubs’s autopsy determined that ten bulletsfrom automatic weapons and revolvers entered his body. Two bullets entered his chest,310