Twin towers destroyed in 2001.
Introduction
We are all aware of the sad events that took place in Mumbai several weeks back. Lots of innocent people died for absolutely no reason. Nowadays, no country is safe from terrorism. Mumbai train blasts, 9/11 attacks in United States, Ahmedabad blasts, Bangalore blasts are all examples of how powerful terrorism has grown. We clearly understand how Religion is used as a weapon to create clashes between the people. But where did all these people come from? Who exactly encouraged them? From where did they get all courage to fight against nations, which have powerful Navy, Air Force and Army? Is the world really moving towards destruction? What actually motivated the terrorists? The result could be traced back to 1979 during the heights of Cold War. All these problems took shape when United States assisted Mujahideen to fight against their bitter enemy USSR. It was during the September 11th attacks that United States realized that it had reaped what it had sown.
Soviets fight against Afghan Mujahideens. How the Hammer and the Sickle broke?
Background
Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) shortly known as the Soviet Union was a socialist state that existed from 1922 until its dissolution in 1991. USSR was the biggest country ever to exist on earth covering 11 time zones out of 12 world time zones, occupying almost one-sixth of the world area and one third of Asia. It was 7 times bigger than India and two and a half times bigger than the United States. Now how did such a great superpower collapse? Is Socialism bad?
United States assists Al-Qaeda in the Soviet-Afghan War. Pic shows CIA agents touring Taliban camps. CIA created terror training camps where Talibans were trained.
Life in the Soviet Union
Life in the Soviet Union was safe, secure and healthy provided you don’t go against the state. Most of all women were treated as humans. Soviet Union preferred an atheist attitude though it was officially secular. USSR was the only country to recover quickly after a devastating war to become an industrial superpower within a few years. Soviet Union was the first country to design the world’s first Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile R-7-Semyorka and it was the first nation to launch the first artificial satellite. However, regular life was monitored in the Soviet Union.
Bin Laden assisted by the United States. Pic shows Bin Laden fighting against Soviets with American equipments.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan was under communist rule during the controversial Soviet-Afghan war (1979-1989). Afghanistan had problems within itself when the Mujahideens wanted to capture power. The Afghan government requested the USSR to assist them. The USSR refused to intervene initially as it was a tensed period of relations during the Cold War. However, decisions to invade Afghanistan was taken hastily in a few months.
Mujahideen leaders in White House. President Ronald Reagan promises assistance to Taliban to fight against the USSR, not knowing that his own country would be facing another bloody war.
The War begins…
In the midnight of December 24th, 1979, Soviet tanks and armoured divisions entered into Afghanistan to fight a war to remove the Taliban threat. The whole world was stunned, as it didn’t expect the Soviet Union to enter into a war given the already tensed situation of Cold War with United States. Soviet warplanes MiG’s, Sukhoi’s entered into Afghan Airspace in the early hours of Christmas. The whole world was brought to standstill as it knew it would be witnessing one of the key wars in human history. A superpower was in action against guerilla forces. No one knew that the Soviet Union was actually entering the last phase of its existence. The sad thing was that it disintegrated fighting for socialism. USSR had many reasons to fear. The southern republics of the USSR like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Krgyzistan were Islamic states. If terrorists captured Afghanistan, then there is a problem of “Jihad” or Holy war in all-Soviet republics. Soviet Union may not survice a Jihad.
The Soviet Union collapse was evident in the mid 1970's itself. Instead of restructuring its economy, the Soviet Union shouldn't have gone for war. Even if terrorists have captured Afghanistan, there is a chance of jihad in Islamic republics of USSR. This would again break the USSR into pieces. In the Soviet Union, Russia was considered as a major contributor and other republics were treated as unreliable sometimes. This led to discontent in the minds of other republics. Russian was made a compulsory language. For many people in Uzbek, Tajik, Kazakh it was much more like Russianization.
Soviet Union withdraws officially after a devastating war in Afghanistan.
Soviet soldiers started rebuilding Afghanistan once they entered Afghanistan. They reconstructed houses, schools to promote education. Women were allowed to be without veil and were made to interact with men. Meanwhile, the United States continued to project the USSR as the evil empire and as an aggressor. The CIA offered to assist the guerilla forces to fight against Soviet troops. Stinger Anti-air missiles were secretly distributed to the Taliban to shoot down Soviet-Aircrafts. Ammunitions, walkie-talkies, guns were supplied by the United States to defeat the Soviet Union.
Soviet artillery guns captured by Taliban.
The Soviet Defeat
Soviet Union was considered as an aggressor. The morale of the Soviet troops went down as they were considered as an invader. The war stagnated the economy of the Soviet Union. It was a great loss and embarrassment to the USSR. The mighty Red Army was getting screwed by guerilla warriors. The citizens lost their faith in the Soviet system. There could be only one answer now. Withdrawal! Soviet Union made an embarrassing withdrawal. Few years later, it ceases to exist. On the evening of December 31st, 1991 the Soviet Red Hammer and the Sickle flag was lowered for one last time! The next day tri-color Russian flag was hoisted.
Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as the Soviet President ending the most powerful empire in the history of mankind after 70 years of its existence. This was a huge victory for the United States at that time. It was not even 10 years. The same Taliban attacked the United States with the same weapons the United States gave to fight against the Soviets.
Soviet-Afghan War Timeline
Early 1979: The USSR is requested by Afghan Government to enter into war to fight against Taliban.
Mid-1979: Aleksei Kosygin, the then Soviet Premier rules out a possibility of Soviet intervention.
24th December 1979: Soviet Union enters war. The then General Secretary Leonid Breznev orders Soviet tanks to take on Afghanistan. India, longtime ally of the Soviet Union openly supports the Soviet-Afghan war in the International scenario. India was the only democratic country to support the USSR in this war.
25th December 1979: US President Jimmy Carter says, "Soviet invasion is a threat to world peace since the end of World War 2.
1981: Soviet soldiers organize coordinated attacks on terrorist camps. By now, CIA is giving a lot of assistance to terrorists. Signs of Soviet loss are slowly coming out.
1982: Soviet Aircrafts/Bombers bombard mountains and hills to kill terrorists.
1983: United States gives tremendous assistance to Taliban to fight against the USSR.
The President of United States Jimmy Carter and Pakistan President Zia-ul-Haq promises Taliban a lot of assistance.
1984: Soviet Union faces huge casualities.
1985: Soviet Union fights alone. The President Gorbachev feels the war is a waste. It’s no using in being with people who are brain washed by stupid ideals. Fighting increases brutally. 1985 was the bloodiest year in Soviet history as it lost more than 1000 soldiers.
1986: Soviet Union is unable to achieve the result it aspired for.
1988: Unrest inside the USSR as citizens themselves feels uncomfortable. Majority of the troops have withdrawn.
1989: Boris Gromov, the Commander General and his regiment was the last regiment to withdraw. Boris Gromov got down from his jeep and walked the Soviet-Afghan border on foot. He was the last ‘Soviet soldier’ to walk out of Afghanistan.
A Soviet soldier looks back at Afghanistan for one last time. He has lost his comrades. Job unfinished! He knew that he was lucky to be fortunate.
1991: On the last day of the year December 31st, 1991, Soviet Union ceases to exist. The Red Flag is lowered and is replaced by the tri-color flag of the Imperial Russia. Russia is declared as the successor of the Soviet Union and all of Soviet nuclear arsenals comes under Russia.
1992-1993: Kabul falls. The Taliban comes to power.
11th September 2001: The same Taliban hits back at United States in the 9/11 attacks destroying the World Trade Center and a part of the Pentagon.
A Mujahideen with Hand Mounted Stinger Anti-Air Missile to shoot Soviet Aircraft.
Soviet Losses:
1. 15,000 Soviet soldiers
2. 333 Helicopters.
3. 147 tanks.
4. 1314 Passenger carriers.
5. 433 artillery guns.
6. 1,138 Communication vehicles.
7. 510 Engineering vehicles
8. 11,369 petrol tanks.
Soviet Spetsnaz soldiers prepare for a mission to eliminate terrorists.
The Spetsnaz Soldiers were quite successful in many missions. But that wasn't enough to win this bloody conflict. How did such a great superpower collapse? It could have easily won the war by sending half of police forces of Moscow. The USSR initiated its own dissolution by entering into Afghan war.
Taliban operating sophisticated radio equipments supplied by the United States(CIA).
Taliban fights Americans with the same Stinger Missile given to them during the Soviet-Afghan war.
-Krishna Kumar.S
