Documents from the Bulletins of the Cold War International History Project (CWIHP)

Compiled, translated into English and republished November 2001 (79 pp).

Compare to Section 9.2 in this archive (USSR and Afghanistan, 1974-1992) which usually includes Russian original

[ See Short Biographies for identity and positions of Afghan, Soviet and other officials ]

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BULLETIN 3 (Fall 1993)

Soviet Policy in Afghanistan: 1979, A Grim Assessment [8-10]

12 April 1979 — Politburo, excerpt 149 from minutes, including 1 April 1979 report by A. Gromyko, Yu. Andropov, D. Ustinov and B. Ponomarev [pp. 8-10].

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BULLETIN 4 (Fall 1994)

From Hesitation to Intervention: Soviet Decisions on Afghanistan, 1979 [12-17]

20 March 1979 – Record of Meeting between [Politburo members] A.N. Kosygin, A.A. Gromyko, D.F. Ustinov, B.N. Ponomarev and N.M. Taraki [pp. 13-15]

20 March 1979 – Record of Brezhnev-Taraki conversation [pp. 15-16]

21 April 1979 – Soviet Helicopters to Afghanistan [pp. 16-17]

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BULLETIN 8/9 (Winter 1996/1997)

The Build-up to Invasion and its Aftermath, 1979-1980 (18-71)

1 February 1980 – Politburo Decision, with telegrams to Soviet Ambassador, To West Germany (Willy Brandt) and Finnish Social Democratic leader Kalevi Sorsa (not printed) [pp. 20-23]

Odd Arne Westad, Concerning the situation in “A”: New Russian Evidence on the Soviet Intervention in Afghanistan [pp. 24-27]

31 May 1978 – Political Letter to USSR Foreign Ministry from A.M. Puzanov, Soviet Ambassador to Afghanistan, “About the Domestic Political Situation in the DRA” (notes) [p. 28]

18 June 1978 – Record of Conversation, Soviet Ambassador A.M. Puzanov and Taraki [p. 29]

18 July 1978 – Record of Conversation between Soviet Ambassador to Afghanistan A.M. Puzanov and Taraki [p. 29]

13 October 1978 – Information from CPSU Central Committee to East German leader Erich Honecker [pp. 29-31]

1979

January to March

7 January 1979 – Politburo Decision on Afghanistan [p. 31]

17-19 March 1979 – Transcript of Politburo Discussions on Afghanistan [pp. 31-40]

18 March 1979 – Politburo Decisions on Afghanistan [p. 40]

17 or 18 March 1979 – Transcript of telephone conversation between Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin and Afghan Prime Minister Nur Mohammed Taraki [pp. 40-41]

20 March 1979 – Meeting of Kosygin, Gromyko, Ustinov and Ponomarev with Taraki in Moscow [pp. 41-45]

22 March 1979 – Transcript of Politburo Session on Afghanistan [pp. 45-46]

22 March 1979 – Record of conversation between Soviet Ambassador to Afghanistan A.M. Puzanov and Taraki [p. 46]

April to June

14 April 1979 – Report of the chief of the Soviet military advisory group in Afghanistan Lt. Gen. L.N. Gorelov with H. Amin (excerpt) [p. 46]

24 May 1979 – Politburo Decision and Instruction to Soviet Ambassador in Afghanistan [p. 47]

9 June 1979 – Record of Conversation between Soviet Ambassador A.M. Puzanov and Taraki [p. 47]

28 June 1979 – Gromyko-Andropov-Ustinov-Ponomarev Report to Central Committee  on the Situation in Afghanistan [pp. 47-48]

July to September

10 July 1979 – Record of Conversation between Soviet Ambassador A.M. Puzanov and Taraki [p. 48]

19-20 July 1979 – Boris Ponomarev, Reports from Kabul (excerpts)

21 July 1979 – Record of Conversation between Soviet Ambassador to Afghanistan A.M. Puzanov and H. Amin [p. 48]

11 August 1979 – Conversation of the chief of the Soviet military advisory group in Afghanistan Lt. Gen. Gorelov with H. Amin [pp. 48-49]

25 August 1979 – Report from Soviet Deputy Defence Minister Army Gen. Ivan Pavlovsky during visit to Afghanistan [p. 49]

13 September 1979 – Politburo Decisions on Afghanistan (excerpts) [p. 49]

15 September 1979 – Politburo Decision with report by Gromyko, Ustinov and Tsvigun [pp. 49-50]

15 September 1979 – Cable from Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko to Soviet Representatives in Kabul [p. 50]

16 September 1979 – Information from CPSU Central Committee to East German leader E. Honecker [p. 50]

20 September 1979 – Excerpt from transcript, Politburo meeting [p. 51]

27 September 1979 – Excerpt from transcript, Meeting of Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko and Afghan Foreign Minister Shah-Valih, New York (excerpt) [p. 51]

October to December

1 October 1979 – Information from the CPSU Central Committee to East German leader Honecker [p. 51]

4 October 1979 – Transcript of Brezhnev-Honecker summit in East Berlin (excerpt about  Iran and Afghanistan) [pp. 51-52]

10 October 1979 – Information of KGB USSR to Central Committee International Department [p. 52]

29 October 1979 – Gromyko-Andropov-Ustinov-Ponomarev Reporto Central Committee [pp. 52-53]

3 November 1979 – Record of Conversation Between Soviet Ambassador Puzanov and Amin [p. 53]

5 November 1979 – Soviet Defence Minister Ustinov, Report to Central Committee on Mission to Afghanistan of Deputy Defence Minister, Army-Gen. I. G. Pavlovsky [p. 53]

[December 1979, Invasion]

6 December 1979 – Record of Conversation between Soviet Ambassador to Afghanistan F.A. Tabeyev and H. Amin [p. 54]

6 December 1979 – Extract from Politburo Decision

[early December 1979] – Personal memorandum, Andropov to Brezhnev, n.d. [p. 54]

31 December 1979 – Andropov-Gromyko-Ustinov-Ponomarev Report on Events in Afghanistan on 27-28 December 1979 [pp. 55-56]

1980

January to March

4 January 1980 – Meeting of Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko and Afghan Foreign Minister Shad Mohammad Dost [pp. 56-57]

17 January 1980 – Politburo transcript (excerpt) [pp. 57-58]

17 January 1980 – Politburo decision [p. 58]

28 January 1980 – Politburo Decision, with 27 January 1980 report by Gromyko-Andropov-Ustinov-Ponomarev [pp. 58-60]

5 February 1980 – Andropov Report to CPSU CC on Talks with Afghan Leaders [p. 60]

7 February 1980 – Politburo transcript (excerpt) [pp. 60-61]

7 February 1980 – Politburo Decisions on Afghanistan [pp. 61-62]

10 March 1980 – Politburo Decision on Soviet Policy on Afghanistan, with report on proposal by Fidel Castro to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan and approved letter from L.I. Brezhnev to Fidel Castro [pp. 62-65]

April to June

10 April 1980 – Politburo Decision on Afghanistan, with report by Gromyko-Andropov-Ustinov-Zagladin, 7 April 1980 [pp. 65-67]

8 May 1980 – Politburo Decision, with Politburo Commission Report 6 May 1980, and Approved Cable to Soviet Ambassador in Kabul [pp. 67-69]

19 June 1980 – Politburo decisions [p. 69]

21 June 1980 – Information from the CPSU Central Committee to Erich Honecker [pp. 69-70]

23 June 1980 – CPSU Central Committee Plenum (excerpt) [pp. 70-71]

July & October

18 July 1980 – Information from the CPSU Central Committee to Erich Honecker [p. 71]

2 October 1980 – Report by Soviet Defence Minister Ustinov to CPSU Central Committee on “Foreign Interference” in Afghanistan [pp. 71-72]

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1983-1989

Attempts at Withdrawal, 1983-1989 (72-79)

10 March 1983 – Politburo transcript (excerpt) [pp. 72-73]

20 March 1986 – Politburo Transcript (excerpt) [p. 73]

13 November 1986 – Politburo transcript (excerpt) [pp. 73-74]

24 January 1989 – Politburo Decision, with attached report of 23 January 1989 [pp. 75-79]

13 May 1989 – Politburo Decision, with report by Zaikov-Shevardnadze-Yazov-Kryuchkov [p. 79]