Book review of: The Fall of Afghanistan by Abdul Samad Ghaus 1988, former Deputy foreign Minister under Daoud in the 1970s. The book is an important account of President Daouds influence on Afghanistan during the 1950s, early 1960s and 1970s. It was under Daoud that the USSR gained influence in Afghanistan and eventually managed to occupy Afghanistan. Soviet Military training: Page 83-84: By accepting Soviet military aid and training, Afghanistan realised that it was opening itself to Russias influence. But was there any alternative? In the American view there was: The Afghan abandonment of the Pashtunistan claim was such an alternative. p84 The inevitable next step in this dreaded military cooperation, dreaded by many, soon incurred. Scores of Russian military advisers and instructors came to Afghanistan to advise and instruct (page 85:)Afghan officers in the use of new equipment, and young Afghan army officers, especially pilots and tank personnel, were sent to the Soviet Union for training. SALANG TUNNEL AND NIXONS TRAUMA IN KABUL: The soviets planned to build the Salang Tunnel as well, so the US started to give civil aid as well and (bi tarfi) policy of Daoud commenced. Nixon even came to visit Afghanistan. Sadly the Afghan Govt provided a very ancient and finely decorated bed, but in the sign of things to come between US and Afghan relations - during the night poor Nixon was in for a shock, the mattress collapsed through the old bed frame. Nixon was consequently none too pleased and in a foul mood when he met with Afghan leaders:p103 note 33 After the 1973 coup by Daoud: P107: Daoud once told me that he was almost certain that the prospect of a larger Communist role in an Afghan government born of the coup was tantalising enough for the Soviets not to create any obstructions to its successful conclusion. Daoud was undoubtedly confident that he would be able to keep the communist influence checked once power was seized. (Daoud had to contend with the megalomania of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in Pakistan who was busy suppressing Baluch nationalist and had locked up Pakhtun nationalists of the ANP. Bhutto had not actually won an election to become leader of Pakistan. In 1970 the mainly Bengali party Awami League won the election but Bhutto and the then Kizzilbash leader of Pakistan Yahya Khan, refused to give the Awami League their rights. The result was a military operation in what was then East Pakistan leading to the creation of Bangladesh and on the basis of that blood bath Bhutto stood as leader of Pakistan. In 1977 Bhutto again won the Pakistan elections by fraud and was over thrown by the Army General Zia Ul Haq.(these are my own observations and not those of the author)). As to General Zia (who of course was killed in the summer of 1988, the same year the book was published:)we discovered in the latter, to our delight, the most affable, well-disposed, and far sighted Pakistani leader we had ever met(p142). Daoud said, had it not been for the existence of the difference with Pakistan that had become an emotion packed national issue, Afghanistan might not have taken the path that it took (Daoud was referring to Afghanistans closeness with the Soviet union. p143: President Daoud said that it was necessary to adopt concrete and meaningful measures such as institutionalised economic and cultural cooperation. He proposed that a high level joint economic cooperation between the two countries, including the establishment of joint economic ventures. Further he said, competent authorities in both countries should jointly study the possibilities of broader cultural exchanges and launch programs to that effect which Zia accepted. At Shalimar Bagh, Daoud cited a Dari poem by Iqbal: The continent of Asia made of water and clay is but one body, In that body the heart is the afghan nation, The destruction of that nation will result in the destruction of Asia, As long as the heart remains free, the body will be free, Otherwise it will become like a straw on the path of the wind. Ghaus writes one cannot dismiss the thought that Daoud, finding himself suddenly in a rapport with the people at Shalimar and suspecting the dire events that were in the offing, had wished to sound an alarm about the impending danger to Afghanistan and, perhaps also, to its eastern neighbour. After all, it was only a few weeks after that memorable afternoon that the Russian empire resumed its southward advance. Daoud left pakistan for the last time on 8th March 1978. On the plane back to Kabul Daoud confided to Ghaus, The general is an honest man; I think that with him we can move forward. That was my impression too(p147). p148:the communist coup in April 1978 put an abrupt end to the considerable efforts toward reconciliation embarked on in the latter years of the republic by Mohammad Daoud and his counterparts in Pakistan that came so close to resolving the long standing dispute between two neighbours. The strong possibility that this dispute was finally going to be settled was perhaps one of the underlying causes that hastened the Communist takeover of Afghanistan. page 179 Moscow meeting with Brezhnev and Daoud: Brezhnev complains there are too many NATO country experts in Afghanistan particularly in the north and that this and not been the case before. Daoud protests that this is an interference in Afghan affairs and begins to walk out of the meeting pursued by a desperate Brezhnev who seeks to formally end the meeting in a less dramatic manner. Daoud is persuaded by his Ministers to at the very least shake the Russian bears hand, which Daoud does before leaving. In all probability the Soviets decide to do away with Daoud as a consequence of his assertion of independence. p194 The soviets assisted in the reunification of Parcham and Khalq much to Daouds annoyance. P195 In April 1978 Shedding the customary Russian secrecy...one of the most important KGB operatives in Afghanistan, personally visited Khalqis and Parchamis at their homes...As April progressed, Kabul became increasingly alive with rumours of some kind of move by the communists. I spoke of those rumours to Daoud, who said that all rumours should be taken seriously. ..Immediately following Khybers murder on April 17, the PDPA accused the government, through the distribution of night letters of assassinating him as part of its campaign of liquidating the left.p197 the PDPA leadership should stand trial for subversion for inflammatory speeches made at Khybers funeral. The only communist not arrested was Amin, because he had not spoken at the funeral(p197). p194 Mohammad Naim on the reunification of the communist party:- You know the gamble is lost. We played our hand bust lost. Sooner or later a small minority will seize power and, by force of arms, will rule over the entire people. Of douse Communism will never be willingly accepted by the people of Afghanistan. But, I see rivers of blood flowing...By referring to the gamble he was referring to the decision in the 1950s to accept massive military and economic assistance from the USSR. p197 Saur Coup: Abdul Kadder ( a deputy of the airforce) and Aslam Wattanjar ( an officer of the Fourth Armored Force) ...started...the coup...around 11am on April 27. p.198:Aslam Wattanjar moved his tanks from pul-iCharkhi barracks...into the city before non on April 27...Then Wattanjars tanks positioned themselves in front of the presidential palace. ...Meanwhile Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Kadder had gained control of Bagram Air Force base with the help of Mahor Daoud Tarrum, who machine gunned thirty surrendered Air Force officers, by way of example...toward the end of the afternoon, first, the helicopters and then the MIGs started to attack the presidential palace with rockets. By early evening all governmental buildings, with the exception of the presidential palace, which was valiantly defended by the Republican Guard, had been secured by the conspirators...Some elements of the police put up a courageous fight in the Ministry of the Interior and in Pashtunistan Square, but they were overwhelmed and slaughtered to the last man. p199After a lull, at about 2:00am on April 28 all hell broke loose. It seemed that they were blowing up the presidential palace. By 4am the communists had complete mastery of the Presidential Palace and murdered Daoud along with his family.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 21:13:33 +0000