342. Intelligence Cable Prepared in the Department of Defense1
1. (U) Ctry: USSR (UR); Afghanistan (AF)
2. (U) Title: Replacement of Afghan Leader (U)
3. (U) Date of info: 801200
4. (U) Orig: Det l, USAOPSGP, INSCOM, Ft Meade, MD
5. (U) Req refs: T–2C3–203762
6. (C/Noforn) Source: [2 lines not declassified]
7. (C) Summary: This report provides information on the current political situation in Afghanistan, to include observations of Afghan leader ((Babrak)) and information on his possible successors.
8A. (U) Details:
1. (C/Noforn) According to information received from Kabul during the first week of December 1980, Soviet imposed Afghan leader ((Babrak)) was showing strong signs of nervousness. Eyewitnesses reported that he chain smoked, appeared generally ill at ease and upon slightest provocation broke into cursing, unusual for a man known for his gentle language.3 Soviet authorities were not satisfied with the competence of the Afghan Government, which had virtually ground to a standstill.4 During the day, government police were on the streets of Kabul, but during the night rebels roamed the city in small groups distributing leaflets and calling on merchants to dictate price ceilings on still available goods. Soviet soldiers broke into two of the main stores in Kabul during the night and completely cleaned out the Afghan department store and the agency for the National Electronics Company of Japan.
2. (C/Noforn) There were two serious candidates considered by the Soviets for the replacement of Babrak. One of them was ((Sarvari)), former Chief of Intelligence, who after the Soviet invasion became deputy to Babrak. He was said to have subsequently left for the USSR for medical treatment and, without returning to Kabul, was appointed [Page 899] Ambassador to the Mongolian Peoples Republic, a post of no importance to the Afghan regime. Sarvari, a member of the Khalq faction of the Communist Party, was a suspected KGB agent. The second person who might replace Babrak or be placed in another high position was the former Minister of Commerce Mohamad Khan ((Salaler)). Under the royal regime in Afghanistan, he held an important post in the Ministry of Planning. He was then named Minister of Commerce after gaining the confidence of President Daoud, who allowed him to participate in all secret conferences. When Daoud was overthrown, he was arrested with all of the President’s5
- Source: Department of Defense, Afghan War Collection, Box 2, 13 Kabul Sitreps. Confidential; Priority; Noforn.↩
- Not found.↩
- According to an intelligence cable prepared in the Department of Defense, November 17, Karmal’s October visit to Moscow was for unspecified medical reasons. (Department of Defense, Afghan War Collection, Box 2, 14 Kabul Sitreps, PT 11)↩
- According to an intelligence information cable prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency, December 8, Soviet officials appeared to have taken control of Afghan diplomatic functions in Pakistan. (Department of Defense, Afghan War Collection, Box 2, 13 Kabul Sitreps)↩
- The rest of the cable was cut off in this copy. No other copy was found.↩