The Road to Afghanistan - George Washington University

“And what about Daoud?”“I don’t know. There’s still a battle going on at the Ark. That’s why, Comrade Karmal,I’m escorting you to a secure location.”Babrak, surrounded by excited officers and soldiers, walked out of the building ofthe Ministry of the Interior. He breathed the fresh air with great pleasure. The sky wasshrouded by dark clouds. A thunderstorm had gathered somewhere beyond the mountainsbut the rain had stopped on the outskirts of the city. It smelled of spring.Karmal swung himself onto an armored vehicle. Somebody’s arms appeared fromthe hatch and pulled him inside. “Mirab has become the prisoner of the flow,” he repeatedto himself silently.***The beginning of that day did not promise anything inauspicious for the president ofAfghanistan. A meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers was scheduled to take place in themorning. Daoud planned to continue the discussion of what to do with the arrestedinstigators and their political organization at the meeting. They had begun discussing thetopic a day earlier, but as no consensus had been reached the discussion was postponeduntil April 27. To some ministers it seemed that nothing out of the ordinary had taken placeand no special measures were called for. Others demanded that all instigators of the antigovernmentdemonstration be subjected to severe punishment and called for theintroduction of a state of emergency and martial law. Minister of Internal Affairs Nuristaniwas particularly uncompromising. “They should be executed immediately and without trial,otherwise our country will face endless troubles.” Daoud hesitated. As usual, he wanted tohear the views of all his ministers before making a final decision. “Should they be78