Kyle Mills

The Afghan War quickly settled down into a stalemate, with more than 100,000 Soviet troops controlling the cities, larger towns, and major garrisons and the mujahedeen moving with relative freedom throughout the countryside. Soviet troops tried to crush the insurgency by various tactics, but the guerrillas generally eluded their attacks. The Soviets then attempted to eliminate the mujahedeen’s civilian support by bombing and depopulating the rural areas (Invasion of Afghanistan) This caused nearly 4 million Afghans to abandon their homes and flee to neighboring countries. 1.5 million fled to Pakistan and 2.8 million fled to Iran. Eventually the rebel group was about to neutralize the air attacks with their antiaircraft missals given to them by the United States. :&imgrefurl= addition-to-my-collection-of-soviet- militaria.html&docid=dgom1d04SM3EKM&imgurl= / &w=450&h=369&ei=kD1_UMOWAoOc9QTB64DAAQ&z oom=1&iact=hc&vpx=826&vpy=336&dur=1344&hovh=203 &hovw=248&tx=172&ty=140&sig= &page=1&tbnh=145&tbnw=188&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t: 429,r:8,s:0,i:120http:// w=1280&bih=682&tbm=isch&tbnid=6wQ7VI_U7F2y2M

s?um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih =682&tbm=isch&tbnid=WGXg BYO4xGb- vM:&imgrefurl= pedia.org/wiki/List_of_anti- aircraft_weapons&docid=4vQ 2AXvbGXK3XM&imgurl=http: //upload.wikimedia.org/wikip edia/commons/thumb/e/ea/S a6_1.jpg/330px- Sa6_1.jpg&w=330&h=204&ei=x 0N_UJy9DObs0gGJkYHYBQ& zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=567&vp y=197&dur=4612&hovh=163&h ovw=264&tx=152&ty=111&sig= &page= 1&tbnh=131&tbnw=202&start= 0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i :102 The Soviet union occupied and allied with the communist Afghans for a near ten years, claiming about 2 million lives before they signed a document; in the presence of the U.S President, the ruler of Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s President, stating that would remove all of their troops. After the Soviets left, Afghanistan was left with a week communist government and unhappy civilians/citizens. The Taliban later was formed and over threw the Afghan government and were in control until the U.S. stepped in and kicked the Taliban out of power. The U.S. established a democracy within the nation. es?um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&b ih=682&tbm=isch&tbnid=Urt FEgbbhpGW4M:&imgrefurl= ap/sam/sam.htm&docid=TuF UArqvgzoidM&imgurl= /xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/sa m/sam4.gif&w=288&h=418&e i=iEd_ULPNPJCE0QHilYAY& zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=287&v py=147&dur=164&hovh=271& hovw=186&tx=85&ty=153&sig = &pa ge=1&tbnh=138&tbnw=96&st art=0&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r: 1,s:0,i:138

When the USSR left, the US also left very abruptly. Afghanistan was ruined. Few standing buildings, fields were torn up, villages barely standing, few paved roads. No commitment to helping Afghanistan recover, because we had no interests there. No commitment to nation-building Result was a power vacuum the mujaheddin broke up into factions, largely along ethnic lines. Many Pashtuns became members of the Taliban, a group of Islamic fundamentalists who had studied in the madrasas of Pakistan. Widespread support for Taliban, because they promise ORDER. (Afghanistan under Soviet rule) n&biw=1280&bih=682&tbm=isch&tbnid=_n UZFcVpt1- UVM:&imgrefurl= com/taliban-or-religious- right/&docid=vGzKfhlp_KWS3M&imgurl=h ttp:// content/uploads/2010/09/taliban.jpg&w=40 0&h=422&ei=10d_UPyqJ6Hu0gGP_IDoBQ& zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=311&sig= &page=1&tbnh=153&tbnw=144&st art=0&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:3,s:0,i:157&tx=1 13&ty=29

The population of Afghanistan's second largest city, Kandahar, was reduced from 200,000 before the war to no more than 25,000 inhabitants, following a months-long campaign of carpet bombing and bulldozing by the Soviets and Afghan communist soldiers in Land mines had killed 25,000 Afghans during the war and another 10–15 million land mines, most planted by Soviet and government forces, were left scattered throughout the countryside. The International Committee of the Red Cross estimated in 1994 that it would take 4,300 years to remove all the Soviet land mines in Afghanistan (Afghanistan under Soviet rule)

Nearly two years have passed since the U.S. led a military force to attack Afghanistan and help replace its harsh government. Despite new leaders and efforts to rebuild, Afghans still do not live in peace. Bombs still explode near villages, and the nation's Vice President was assassinated. President Hamid Karzai was the target of another killer. "Afghanistan is a nation made of the bits and pieces no one else wanted," said Mohammad Abdul, who helped rebuild the historic mosque in his city, Kandahar. "For this reason, it will always be difficult to have real peace here.” (Afghanistan Today)

"Afghanistan Under Soviet Rule." Afghanistan Under Soviet Rule. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct "Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan (1979)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 17 Oct Thomas, Edwin. "About the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan." EHow. Demand Media, 28 Oct Web. 17 Oct