The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

counter-revolutionaries? Would this uprising become a signal for others to begin apowerful armed rebellion? Then the counter-revolution could snowball straight to Kabul,growing in power by the day and threatening to bury the fledgling authorities, along withtheir Soviet advisers, planes, tanks, ideologies, and promises.In a state of dismay, Taraki asked General Gorelov for urgent military assistance.More precisely, he needed the engagement of Soviet paratroopers.Amin ordered aviation to be launched and to bomb Herat, the crown jewel ofAfghanistan, into rubble. The Soviet advisers had a very difficult time convincing him tochange his mind and call off the strike, though they eventually succeeded.Bogdanov went to see Sarwari in his office. Sarwari met him, pistol in hand, as ifexpecting a rebel assault at any moment. “The Herat Infantry Division does not existanymore,” said Sarwari in a doomed, shaking voice. “A chain reaction of fear and panic maybegin in the army. If the situation continues to develop this way, Kabul may share Herat’sdestiny in five days.”“What are you planning to do?” asked Bogdanov. He had never seen Sarwari in suchan alarmed state.“We will leave for the mountains and begin everything anew. We will regroup andfall on the country from above like an avalanche,” Sarwari said.“Yes, of course,” thought Bogdanov, “you will run and hide. But where will we go?Who will hide our women and children?”“You should calmly analyze the situation,” pleaded Bogdanov. “As far as I know, yourleadership has not done a thing to help Herat. Have any of your leaders even gone there?”“No,” replied Sarwari hopelessly. It seemed that he had not even considered that.357