The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

your man or Amin’s man?”“He will listen to the order of the one who first gives him an order.”“Then you have lost, son. And remember, my friends, I will not kill a fly, even to savemyself. Let my destiny be determined by the party and by the people.”After that we retired to our offices. In the evening, around 8 p.m., I was informed thatAmin had allegedly made a public broadcast on the radio announcing that he had rooted outour conspiratorial plot and that all four of us were removed by him from our positions. Iimmediately called the palace. “It can’t be!” Taraki exclaimed when I told him.Without wasting a minute, we went to the Soviet embassy to ask our Soviet comrades foradvice.***On that day, Valery Starostin was preparing his house for a reception for youngforeign diplomats planned for September 17. He had just returned from the Pul-e Heshti,where he had bought a string of lights to decorate the lawn in front of his house, when thephone rang. Gulabzoi’s voice, normally quiet and measured, sounded extremely agitated.He said that all of them, Minister of the Interior Watanjar, Head of AGSA Sarwari, andFrontier Affairs Minister Mazdouryar were currently sitting in his apartment. Theyurgently wanted to meet with Starostin and inform him of the important circumstancesrelated to the worsening political situation. Gulabzoi could not restrain his emotions andexclaimed with a tragic voice that a coup d’etat was underway in the country, that therevolution was in danger, and that Comrade Taraki was in peril.Starostin asked where and how they could organize a meeting with Gulabzoi and hisfriends. Gulabzoi gave his address in Mikrorayon. However, he requested that Starostin not526