Afghanistan: A Tragic History

In Afghanistan, the balance of power has shifted back and forth between warring tribal groups, leaving little stability and abject poverty in the wake. Caught in the middle are ordinary Afghans, who have borne the brunt of the excesses of conflict.

In 1979, Afghanistan was to become the Vietnam of the Soviet Union. The nightmare ended on the 15 February 1989. Around 15 000 Soviet soldiers died in the conflict and about 35 000 Afghans.

Afghan Resistance

During the invasion, the Soviets took control of the cities, but not of the countryside. Here, conservative tribal leaders continued to reign. The communists efforts to reform the country were rejected.

The new lifestyle being propagated in Kabul was perceived as un-Islamic by Afghanistan's traditional and religious population. They rebelled.

Afghans formed resistance groups all over the country, who began to combat the "faithless" invaders in the name of Islam. These groups, known as mujahideen, or warriors of god, raided the Soviets in the outback, scoring points on the basis of their knowledge of the mountainous hinterland.

Their skill in negotiating the territory and their battle-hardened will were essential in this struggle against a powerful enemy. The decisive reason perhaps, was the West's backing. Without aid, the mujahideen would not have stood a chance against the Soviets.

Warriors of God with Help from the West

The West acted concertedly against the Soviets in Afghanistan. American "Stinger" rockets, for example, enabled the mujahideen to effectively undermine Soviet air power. A trade embargo against Kabul was strictly enforced.Sanctions were imposed on Moscow. And the US embargoed trade with the Soviet Union.

But the cause of the mujahideen gained support from many Muslim countries as well. Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan's neighbour, Pakistan. They backed the mujahideen groups for their own reasons. And volunteers were numerous, drawn in by the rhetoric of a greater cause, in the name of Islam.

These people were to become the backbone of the armed underground struggle for Islam, the foot soldiers of future terrorist campaigns.

Armed to the Hilt

The Soviets finally pulled out of Afghanistan ten years after the invasion. But when the armies left, the long-awaited peace failed to materialise. Having backed the warring factions for more than ten years, the country was armed to the hilt. Rival mujahideen groups battled for Kabul now, where a Communist government was in control.

More and more soldiers from the defunct Afghan army defected to the mujahideen, who had set up a government in exile, in Peshawar, Pakistan. The mujahideen took power in 1992. They set up an Islamic regime based on strict religious principles.

But the coalition did not last. Ethnic tensions led to yet more violence between the various groups of mujahideen. The capital city, Kabul was reduced to rubble. And an enormous wave of refugees is set in motion as a result.

Afghanistan was in the grip of civil war. And civilian casualties increased daily in the relentless cycle of violence. The liberators of Soviet occupation were soon internationally isolated and shunned.