The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

elatives that he was leaving. He didn’t say where he was going, or for how long he wouldbe away. His farewell was brief and reserved. Karmal, accompanied by Petrov, left thesanatorium. Karmal’s family was almost immediately transferred to the Slovak town ofBanska Bistritsa. They settled in a comfortable mansion with a security detail. It wasapparent that Babrak Karmal’s status was rapidly changing.In early November, the future leaders of Afghanistan gathered at one of the secretKGB dachas in the Moscow suburbs. The group included Babrak Karmal, Anahita Ratebzad,Assadullah Sarwari, Sayed Gulabzoi, and Abdul Vakil. Under the guidance of their handlers,they began to make preparations for the seizure of power in Afghanistan. They made listsof future power structures and future prisoners. They distributed government positionsand developed plans to take over the most important sites in the country. This militaryrevolutionary committee accepted the recommendation from the Central Committee of theCPSU and unanimously elected Babrak Karmal as its leader. Karmal in those days displayeda great activist temperament, constantly pressing Soviet comrades: “We must act quickly,before Amin finds out about our preparations. The revolution is in grave danger.” Notwithout reason, Karmal feared that Amin would learn about everything at any moment, andwould then strike first.In order to establish reliable ties with the underground in Kabul, Karmal suggestedcovertly moving Gulabzoi to Afghanistan. Ershov, who spent those days together with theAfghans, liked the idea. However, surprising everyone, Gulabzoi refused to be deployed,instead nominating Watanjar for the position. This caused fiery debate among the Afghans.The KGB operatives quickly dropped all illusions that the Khalqis and the Parchamis wouldever forget their past disagreements and begin to cooperate in the face of life-changing621