Afghanistan (Soviet-Afghan War, 9/11, Afghanistan War)

When was the Soviet-Afghan War? Why did the Soviet's invade Afghanistan?

Soviet Afghan War - 1979 - 1989

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Why invade?

1. 1978 - communist party (People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan - PDPA) took power in Saur Revolution and faced resistance from Islamic groups and Afghan tribes - Soviet Union wanted to protect a fellow Marxist regime

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2. Kremlin feared that if communist regime fell, it may be replaced by a US-aligned or Islamist government, weakening their control over Central Asia (scared of domino effect)

Soviets did not trust Afghan leader

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3. Part of a global cold war rivalry between the US and Soviet Union (just as US had intervened in Vietnam to stop communism, the Soviets now intervened in Afghanistan to protect it)

Define jihad, and define the mujahideen. Which countries provided covert assistance to the Afghan Mujahideen during the Soviet-Afghan war and why?

Jihad - 'struggle or exertion' - a holy war

Mujahideen - individuals who engage in jihad

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and US

US (funnelled money and weapons)

- Cold War Strategy - saw the soviet invasion as an act of aggression. By supporting mujahideen, they could weaken the USSR military economically and politically without sending American troops

- Containment of Communism - potential domino (if Afghanistan fell under soviet control, so could neighbouring countries)

Saudi Arabia (matched US funding)

- religious solidarity (jihad aligned with Saudi Arabia's religious identity)

- influence (expanded their influence in the region

Pakistan (distributed arms and training)

- prevent Soviet expansion (already facing hostility from soviet-aligned India)

- refugees (millions of Afghan refugees fled to Pakistan, and by supporting Mujahideen it was seen as a way to eventually send them back and stabilise the border)

Why did al-Qaeda form (1988) during the end of the Soviet-Afghan war? Who formed it and what were their goals?

Osama Bin Laden formed al-Qaeda (a TRANSNATIONAL group that had emerged from the Arab mujahideen movement) - believed their victory in Afghanistan proved the power of the armed jihad.

*TRANSNATIONAL - fighters came from many countries - Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt etc - Afghanistan was simply where they operated due to the Taliban's protection

Goals

- expel western influence in muslim lands

- overthrow secular and un-islamic governments in muslim countries

- establish and global islamic caliphate

- defend and liberate muslim populations in areas they believed they were oppressed (e.g. bosnia)

- attack the 'far enemy' - particularly US (bin Laden argued that only by attacking the US, could change be achieved in the muslim world)

What were the consequences of the Soviet-Afghan War and how did this lead to the rise of the Taliban (1994). What were the goals of the Taliban?

Consequences

- devastated Afghanistan

- collapse of Afghan government (after soviets left in 1989, and stopped funding in 1992, mujahideen took over)

- civil war among rival mujahideen leaders (warlords) who fought for control especially over Kabul - many casualties/ destruction

- lawlessness, corruption and brutality grew

- new generation of radical Afghan youth, and an army of trained mujahideen fighters, including foreign jihadists (i.e. bin Laden)

Rise of the Taliban (1994)

- People desperate for stability especially in southern Afghanistan

- emergence of the Taliban ("students") in Kandahar - mostly young men educated in radical ideologies (former mujahideen fighters or orphans of the war)

- gained support by opposing warlords, and establishing order (through strict sharia law)

- funded/ supported by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia

Goals

- establish an Islamic emirate (1996 - after capturing Kabul)

- impose strict sharia law (public executions, amputations, bans on music, television, education for girls etc.)

- eradicate corruption and enforcing justice (however brutal)

- Control Afghanistan

What did al-Qaeda do in 1998, 2000 and 2001, and why?

Why did they carry out these terrorist attacks

1998 - Al-Qaeda bombs U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania

Why?

- Attacking high profile US targets draws global attention

- Rally more jihadist supporters and elevate the al-Qaeda profile

- intended to provoke the US

2000 - Al-Qaeda bombs USS Cole in Yemen - killing 17 US sailors

Why?

- Rally more jihadist supporters

- Show the vulnerability of the US military

September 11 2001 - 9/11

Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airlines

- crashed first 2 into the twin towers of the WTC, New York

- crashed the 3rd into the Pentagon

- 4th plane crashed in rural Pennsylvania during a passenger revolt

- 2,977 dead

Why did US invade Afghanistan after 911

In Afghanistan, the Taliban were providing a safe haven to al-Qaeda (transnational group who were responsible for 9/11).

After 9/11, the US gave the Taliban and ultimatum - hand over Osama bin Laden and shut down al-Qaeda operations.

Taliban refused, demanding evidence or offering to 'try him' in an Islamic court (US rejected as stalling)

President George W. Bush

"We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbour them"

Summary - the invasion happened because the Taliban regime sheltered Al-Qaeda and refused to cooperate