January 17 1991 The war in the Persian Gulf has started ground campaign I had no doubt that it would They woke me up at 4 a m went to the Kremlin Stopped by Primakov’s Dzasokhov and Falin were there We started working on Gorbachev’s statement Around 7 a m in the Walnut Room M S called together—my jaw dropped when I walked in—members of the Politburo CC Secretaries… “We have come full circle ” I thought This is a symptom Of course Yazov was there too he spread a map on the table and showed what he thought would happen by the way he guessed correctly If only the Americans knew… It is nighttime an emergency situation The gathered group consists of amateurs in the issue at hand The President’s rooms have neither a fax nor any direct line to the information service We waited for the stenographer for half an hour It took over an hour to re-type a two-page statement with corrections Gorbachev asked Yazov “When did you ‘see’ it ” Meaning when did he learn from the military and technical intelligence about the start of American attacks “I did not see it I heard it About an hour after it started We intercepted an exchange between a B-52 and Milwaukee aircraft carrier ” That’s the company M S had when he decided the question related to an event the consequences of which could surpass the results of World War II in terms of state conflicts factors and the regrouping of all the world powers I am not sure whether Ignatenko was lying or telling the truth when he said that he was sitting next to one of the CC secretaries and when ships were mentioned in the course of the conversation he leaned over and asked “What have ships got to do with it Is it close to the sea ” By the way Boldin was the one who called people and sent cars out to the dachas But he did not call or notify me It was Primakov who called and said that we are all meeting This is curious After all I am the President’s adviser on international relations and everybody knows that I am involved in this issue After Gorbachev let people go around 9 a m he suddenly beckoned me into his office He talked about Lithuania I understood that he got wind of my backroom conversations and intentions Meanwhile Moskovskie Novosti fired off “bloody Sunday” and a list of accusations at Gorbachev signed by around 30 politicians—from Abuladze to Karyakin from Bovin to Gelman almost all Gorbachev’s former favorites It made an impression on him The day before when he was presenting Bessmertnykh at the MFA he referred to the article saying “They are already calling me a criminal and a murderer ” I thought it was a filthy thing of them to do This publication plus the outbreak of war in the Persian Gulf have cooled my desire to give him my resignation letter which Tamara locked in her safe and guards carefully Gorbachev talked seemingly regretful that things were turning out this way Such a confrontation such a split such hostility in society it is as if the walls have started marching against each other I told him “So let them fight each other even until death But why tanks It is the ruin of your cause Is Lithuania worth such stakes ” “You do not understand ” Gorbachev said “It is the army I could not openly disassociate myself from them and condemn them after the Lithuanians humiliated them and their families in the garrisons ” Precisely I thought This only confirms the analysis of the situation coming from all sides M S has fallen into the embrace of “Petrushchenkovs” against his own will and found himself without a base Now he is forced to follow the logic of protecting power at all costs He does not feel the danger But the strike is coming tomorrow and on Sunday there will be a demonstration in Moscow under the slogan “Gorbachev must resign ” But why he called me over to work with me in light of the fact that Petrakov and Shatalin not only resigned but signed that very article in Moskovskie Novosti where he is called a murderer Does he want Chernyaev to leave too the “most loyal” one January 18 1991 Gorbachev had three telephone conversations - With Mitterrand The latter called No substance It seems he just wanted to show himself next to Gorbachev in being distanced from Bush’s direct and uncompromising position on the Persian Gulf - With Kohl M S called him Congratulated him on his election as Chancellor of United Germany They are on familiar terms with each other Misha Helmut The same declarations of love and faithfulness Kohl assured M S that he does not believe that Gorbachev turned away from perestroika and moved into the right-wing camp because of Lithuania He assured M S that everything will remain as they agreed at their meetings in Arkhyz Moscow and Bonn - The conversation with Bush started out coldly M S did not consider it necessary to praise him for taking on the war upon himself—for everybody He did not express his condolences for the boys who already died He immediately started on his two-phase theory there is already victory in the first phase Hussein is politically discredited his military potential is undermined the risk of hegemony in the region is removed—so why should we keep killing others and put our boys on the line He laid out his plan a pause in hostilities under the condition that Hussein declares that he will withdraw from Kuwait A promise to negotiate on all issues after the withdrawal Bush did not agree This was followed by a dropped call for “technical reasons ” In reality Bush probably needed to consult with his team After the line was reconnected he said he did not believe that Hussein would accept such a plan I noticed that Gorbachev’s attitude was if that’s what you want— okay go ahead later you can tell us how it went This morning I made a scene to Gorbachev in the presence of Bessmertnykh Pavlov Primakov Ignatenko “Again Boldin did not notify me that people are gathering in the Walnut Room to discuss the war in the Persian Gulf I am not needed in international affairs My opinion is of no interest in this important matter ” Gorbachev started to apologize trying to turn it into a joke He cursed Boldin but at the same time justified him by saying that advisers should attend such events automatically and do not need separate invitations “See ” he said “everyone suspects me But if Chernyaev started to suspect me then the matter has gone really deep in our society ” This was said against the background of the abovementioned action by 30 members of the intelligentsia in Moskovskie Novosti and then 116 more members of the intelligentsia including some close to Gorbachev in Rossiiskaya Gazeta Then there was another group in Komsomolka Komsomol’skaya Pravda And another collective statement in Rossiiskaya Gazeta that praised Yeltsin he supposedly saved the honor of the Russian people in contrast to Gorbachev who disgraced Russian people Add to that Petrakov’s resignation and the grumbling and resignation threats from Yakovlev Primakov’s statement Shatalin’s endless interviews in newspapers where he rails against Gorbachev and Vitaliy Ignatenko’s talks with him Gorbachev Against this background Chernyaev seems to be the last redoubt everyone is leaving and betraying him He felt that I was on the brink Though I repeat I remain by his side because of the Persian Gulf War By the way he threw out this joke in some Canadian newspaper some Canadian millionaire whom M S never met is inviting him over promising him a country house and a lifetime pension He jokes “Maybe we should go We’ll write memoirs together ” Yesterday Kuranty published an excerpt from Ligachev’s book about how he made Gorbachev General Secretary The book is called The Birth and Demise of Perestroika The author is glad that finally after Lithuania perestroika is returning to its proper course i e the one always indicated by Yegor Kuzmich January 29 1991 I put the following passage in the letter to Andreotti “To the person who best understands us and can stop the disintegration of good relations with the Soviet Union save the European process and prepare all of us to build peace after the Persian Gulf War ” M S corrected the text heavily removing the most “heartfelt” parts Bessmertnykh convinced Bush and Baker to stop the Lithuania-related economic reprisals The Americans still need us—to finish off Hussein Kryuchkov brought Gorbachev another batch of bogus information that the U S is about to strike Hussein with nuclear weapons Tolya Kovalyov following Kryuchkov’s lead immediately composed a statement from the USSR MFA in protest I asked to see it… then attached a biting note to it and sent it to Gorbachev He returned it to me with the resolution “Hold until special circumstances ” What nitwits we have in our departments They simply cannot tell apart big-time politics from tactical propaganda games Translated by Anna Melyakova for the National Security Archive