The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

In concluding his speech, Amin said that if the Soviet comrades insisted, he wasprepared to obey them. However, this would mean that the head of the PDPA and theAfghan state was acting against his will and conscience, and against the truth.“This would mean my political suicide,” concluded Amin. “Do you want my suicide?”If the Soviet comrades received this idea favorably, they kept it to themselves. Theyparted unemotionally. Each was considering the excuses they would have to make to theirsuperiors the next day. Ambassador Puzanov was already mentally packing his suitcases.Three days after that meeting, Soviet agents from Amin’s entourage reported thatAmin, when speaking with his closest allies, referred to Puzanov disrespectfully and cursedwhile describing the Soviet ambassador. All of that was within the context of his storyabout the failed assassination attempt. “I have no desire to meet with him or speak withhim,” Amin declared angrily. “I cannot fathom how such a dishonest and tactless personcould be the ambassador here for so long.”A cable with this information was signed by Bogdanov and immediately sent to theCenter. It is possible that this could have been part of the calculations of the Afghan leader’smaster plan all along. He knew that there could be only one reaction to such a cable fromthe Foreign Ministry, and the reaction would be implemented immediately.Soon Puzanov received a message from Gromyko: “Taking into consideration yourmany requests regarding permission to leave your post as the ambassador to Afghanistan,you have been transferred to another position.” Certainly, Puzanov never voiced such arequest. To the contrary, he held onto his position with all of his might, understanding thatat the age of 73, no positions with comparable clout would be forthcoming.616