collapse of his regime at that point. The chapter is divided into
four parts. In the first, I discuss the mechanisms which Najibullah
exploited in order to hold on to office. The second deals with the
problems which beset the organised resistance groups during this
period and prevented them from operating in a concerted way to
exploit the fruits of their anti-Soviet activities. The third examines
attempts which the UN made during this period to orchestrate an
orderly transition to a ‘broad-based government’. The fourth traces
the tumultuous events of late 1991 and early 1992 which led to the
collapse of Najibullah’s regime and his seeking refuge in UN
offices in Kabul. A key point which emerges from this analysis is
that while Najibullah showed considerable dexterity in identifying
and exploiting non-legitimate forms of domination, he failed to
develop broadly based normative support of a kind which could
sustain his regime in the face of an acute crisis.
MECHANISMS OF REGIME MAINTENANCE
Continuing Soviet assistance
In Afghanistan from February 1989, even though Soviet troops had
left, Soviet planes kept flying. This was absolutely crucial, since
Kabul could not have survived as an isolated redoubt without such
backing: cities do not feed themselves, and bread shortages have
brought down large numbers of governments. Kabul needed food
supplies of approximately 700 tonnes a day, and the Soviet leader-
ship made sure that these stocks arrived (Burns, 1989). Military
assistance also continued. In a May 1989 memorandum to the
Politburo, Foreign Minister Shevardnadze, Defence Minister Iazov,
KGB Chief Kriuchkov, and Party Secretary Zaikov recommended
a ‘search for additional reserves to accelerate delivery of
armaments and ammunitions into Afghanistan, particularly the
armament like R-17 missiles, air-defense equipment, and others’
(Hershberg, 1996–97: 184). The R-17 missile is more popularly
known as the SCUD, a missile which won considerable notoriety
when Iraq fired modified versions at Israel during the Gulf War in
The Interregnum of Najibullah, 1989–1992 169