When in 1979 the Red Army scorned the history books and invaded Afghanistan, the D.C. war machine saw its chance to both weaken the USSR while exacting revenge for Moscow’s support of Hanoi during the Vietnam War. From 1979 to 1989, the CIA covertly channeled $2 billion in weapons, logistical support, and training to the Afghani resistance collectively known as the mujahideen (Arab for “those who engage in jihad”).
Our proxy war strategy seemed to work. The Russians ignominiously retreated, and the media and D.C. cheered.
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