>https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1978STATE110015_d.html
SOVIET EMBOFF INQUIRES ON AFGHANISTAN COUP | 1979
>Starring Cy Vance!
1978 April 29
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SOVIET FIRST SECRETARY ALEXANDER ZOTOV CALLED ON NEA/
PAB DIRECTOR COON APRIL 28 TO DISCUSS AFGHAN EVENTS.
ZOTOV CLAIMED AT OUTSET THAT HE HAD AS YET NO REPORTS FROM
MOSCOW, ALTHOUGH HE UNDERSTOOD MFA WOULD BE SENDING OUT
REPORT QUOTE PERHAPS TODAY UNQUOTE. HE OPINED THAT THE
SOVIET EMBASSY IN KABUL WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND OUT AND
REPORT MUCH TO MOSCOW UNDER CURRENT CONFUSED AND HAZARDOUS
CIRCUMSTANCES. HE VOLUNTEERED THAT ONE OF HIS COLLEAGUES
AT EMBASSY WHO HAD SERVED IN KABUL SOME YEARS AGO HAD
DESCRIBED THE LEADING OFFICER IN THE COUP AS A QUOTE
NATIONALIST, AND ANTI-MONARCH UNQUOTE, BUT ALLEGEDLY NOT
WELL KNOWN TO SOVIET EMBASSY IN KABUL AT TIME. (ZOTOV ALSO
CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN UNAWARE OF FACT KADIR HAD RECEIVED
TRAINING IN USSR, ALTHOUGH THAT HAD BEEN REPORTED IN US
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIALSTATE 110015
MEDIA).
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ZOTOV ASKED WHETHER THERE HAD BEEN ANY DECLARATION
FROM KABUL WHICH WOULD INDICATE THE POLITICAL COLORATION
OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT, OR WHETHER WE HAD ANY CONFIRMATION
THAT DAOUD HAD BEEN KILLED.
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FOR MOSCOW: ZOTOV GAVE THE IMPRESSION OF WANTING TO
BE EXTREMELY FORTHCOMING, AND MOST OF HIS PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS WERE VOLUNTEERED. HE NOTED THAT HE HAD RECENTLY
WORKED IN MFA NEAR EASTERN AFFAIRS, AND KNEW POL/EXT
OFFICER MILES. IF EMBASSY HAS ANY OBSERVATIONS ON ZOTOV
WHICH MIGHT BE HANDY HERE IF WE CONTINUE OUR DIALOGUE WITH
HIM, THEY WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
VANCE