Afghanistan Past and Present

I have an article in the latest issue of Military Heritage Magazine which describes the Soviet War in Afghanistan.

The problem faced by the Soviets is very similar to that of the United States and NATO. The Pashtun border region was dominated by Afghan rebels, who receive aid from their brethren in Pakistan and as well as Pakistan's ISI. Foreign arms also flooded in, from Egypt, China, and Israel (who sold captured Arab weapons to the CIA).

The Soviets waged several campaigns of annihilation in the valleys along the border. Soviet troops eradicated everything in their path, displacing hundreds of thousands of refugees in Pakistan. The camps were of course excellent recruiting grounds for Mujaheddin fighters.

Interestingly, two of the best rebel fighters during the Soviet era, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Jalaluddin Haqqani are now arch enemies of the United States.

Today, the rebels of Afghanistan air helped by Al Qaeda. They receive weapons from Iran and from Soviet era stockpiles in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The United States and NATO are not going to wage a campaign of annihilation in the border valleys. For years they've been doing the opposite, flooding the country with billions in foreign aid funding infrastructure, humanitarian efforts, and the Afghan National Army, which is already far better than anything the communist government put into the field.

Despite this effort the forntier area has become more violent and chaotic, and the Taliban, while suffering thousands of casualties per year, shows no sign of beaing defeated.

The Soviet stick has failed, as has the American carrot. So what is the solution then?


Will's novel, A Line Through the Desert: The First Gulf War may be purchased at Amazon.