The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

assassinate his political rival. However, Soviet and local special services succeeded inpreventing the assassination attempt. The killers were arrested.Somebody, who introduced himself as a staff member of the Department ofInternational Affairs of the Central Committee of the Czechoslovak Communist Party,visited Karmal in November. He was obviously embarrassed to give Karmal a message fromhis Moscow colleagues with instructions not to conduct any separatist activities and not tostruggle against the current progressive regime in Afghanistan. He was also informed thatrepression against Parchamis and their families was on hold at the moment, and that theparty was working harmoniously to build a new society. The thrust of the message was forKarmal to cease his anti-government activities, to stop engaging his friends in thoseactivities, and to change his attitude toward the current regime.Stone-faced, he listened to his guest and decided that it made absolutely no sense forhim to enter into a discussion and offer any excuses. The messenger had nothing to do withthe nature of the instructions. Besides, Karmal did not believe that the message objectivelyreflected the true attitudes of the Soviet leadership. Yet, when saying goodbye to theCzechoslovak visitor, he could not hold back: “Wait, the time will come soon when ourSoviet comrades will change their tune.”However, the time when things would change did not come soon enough.Anahita Ratebzad arrived and visited with the Karmals for a long time. Loyal friendsNajib and Baryalai also visited from time to time.Sometimes he suffered from melancholy moods—then the future seemed dark anduncertain. Once, Karmal, while walking with his younger son, said to the boy: “Kava, do youknow why my friends and I became revolutionaries? The suffering of the Afghan people493