Moscow. August 16. INTERFAX-AVN-The capture of Kabul by the Taliban (the group is banned in the Russian Federation) was a kind of surprise for Russia, said the special representative of the President of the Russian Federation, director of the Second Department of Asia of the Russian Foreign Ministry Zamir Kabulov.
"To a certain extent, yes. It came as a surprise, because we proceeded from the understanding that the Afghan army, whatever it was, would still resist for some time. But apparently we were too optimistic in assessing the quality of the armed forces trained by the Americans and NATO. They threw everything at the first shot, " he said on the air of the Echo of Moscow radio station.
Commenting on the words of the presenter that, apparently, this was a surprise for other intelligence agencies of the world, Kabulov said: "That's what I understood. In any case, the Americans shamefacedly agree with this point of view."
Kabulov noted that the American press is trying to draw parallels with the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan: "Nothing like that, the regime (then) stood for another three years. And the regime they created collapsed even before the Americans left - that's the fundamental difference."
A senior Russian diplomat noted that two conditions are necessary for a successful army: "well-armed with discipline and morale, the belief that you are defending the national interests."
"The Afghan army has always lacked the second component," Kabulov said.
