Russia's Proxy War: Afghanistan

[Grantler]

Vietnam stands as the first modern day proxy war. It serves as a distinct example of the horrible nature of modern war where technology can slaughter hundreds of people in an instant and in the name of any cause. As Vietnam taught America, the full fledged proxy war was not the path to victory in the Cold War. Yet, the Soviet Union did not accept this fact and blundered into a conflict in Afghanistan. What was to follow can be termed nothing less than the communist’s own Vietnam type experience.

Afghanistan was a country of 15 million people in 1978 when the left wing regime of Noor Taraki took power. This delighted the socialist Soviets on the northern border who still believed in the unyielding power of Leninist Russia. Taraki, backed by the Soviets, moved forward in spreading a socialist agenda throughout the Islamic nation. This took the shape of sweeping reforms. For example, women literacy was now encouraged and veils were no longer mandatory in public. As in Vietnam, the culture of a nation was being disturbed in a way not acceptable to a proud and historic people. Even though the changes may have been in accordance with human rights and modern times, Islamic opponents began to rise up to stop the reforms. Unfortunately, Soviet ideology pushed on and anti-imperialist sentiment grew to a point were it jumped borders into neighbouring Iran.

The overthrow of the Iranian Shah in 1979 sparked the loss of America’s biggest supported in the Arab world. Alarms went off at the White House as fears began to arise that communists may next move into Iran. This was unacceptable to President Carter and in July 1979 American equipment was flowing into Afghanistan. Most of this equipment went to a group known as the Mujahideen or ‘Soldiers of God’.

Events were to unfold rapidly in Afghanistan as Prime Minister Amin succumbed to a desire for power and killed not only thousands of his fellow people but also President Taraki as well. These actions turned the nation into a breeding ground of anti-communist Islamic fundamentalism and in December 1979 Russia was forced to commit troops. Amin was assassinated within hours. A proxy war had now begun with the Mujahideen combating a well armored Soviet war machine. This was indeed a Soviet Vietnam.

As the first Soviet troops streamed into Afghanistan, the United States issued a press release stating that any communist movements into Iran or Pakistan would result in immediate reprisals. Carter did not rule out nuclear retaliation. The Cold War stalemate was over. As a result, American diplomat Zbigniew Brzezinski became democracy’s lifeline to Afghanistan. It was his goal to supply the Mujahideen as necessary and he carried out this job with American, Chinese and even Soviet equipment.

The war began to intensify in 1980. The Soviets had already funneled one hundred thousand troops into Afghanistan and America elected a new president by the name of Ronald Reagan. It was no secret that Reagan despised communism and was about to enlarge the American military industrial complex in hopes of driving the Soviets out of the Cold War. Afghanistan was his first objective. The Americans gave Brzezinski the green light to increase aid to the Mujahideen and he did. The resulting gorilla war was termed best by the CIA’s head of the Afghanistan Taskforce, Frank Anderson, who stated that America fought the war for America’s own goals with Afghan blood.

As the war escalated the world took notice and the United Nations decided it was time to act. In 1982, the UN attempted to negotiate a deal to get the Soviets out. The Soviets decided to back out citing that the UN plan would tarnish the image of communism. But, in November of the same year, President Brezhnev died and his replacement, Yuri Andropov expressed interest in a deal. Unfortunately, this was the Cold War and hope in this was not something the Americans took to heart. They pressed Pakistan to continue their already strong support of Islamic fundamentalism against the Soviets. It was now obvious to the Soviets that they could never win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. Just as was the case for Americans in Vietnam, the Soviets could trust no one. Unlike the Americans, this meant the eradication of thousands of innocent Afghans. As a result, the Mujahideen responded with atrocities of their own. The war was out of control by the end of 1982.

When Mikhail Gorbechev ascended to power in 1985, the war was not winnable. He decided that the best course of action was to pull out at the soonest possible time available that would cater to the Soviet desire to save face in the matter. Reagan realized that the communists wanted a deal and refused to bargain. Instead, he sent more advanced technology, such as the surface to air stinger missile, to help battle Soviet air supremacy. This helped drive the war on for three more years.

By 1988, the Soviets were tired. Drug addiction and depression had overrun the military. The Islamic fundamentalist enemy was undying in its goal to rid Afghanistan of socialism. Marxism was on its way out of the nation. The full cost of the war came to light as the Soviet troops began to pull out in 1988 after the Geneva Accord was signed. Since 1979, five million Afghan people were wounded or forced to leave and one million were dead. Soviet deaths totaled 15,000.

Unfortunately, this is not the end of the story. The regime known as the Taliban rose to power after years of tribal fighting in Afghanistan. The Taliban instituted a system of governance that ignored basic human rights and promoted Islamic fundamentalism on a scale never seen before. One of the followers of this faith is Osama bin Laden. As was apparent after the horrifying attacks of September 11th, 2001, the world changed. Communism was replaced by a new threat to democratic nations. This new threat, terrorism, took roots in Afghanistan where training grounds of the terror organization known as Al Qaeda appeared. Ironically, Al Qaeda utilizes Soviet and American arms left behind from the Afghanistan proxy war.

The Mujahideen no longer focuses their Islamic fundamentalist views in disgust towards socialism alone. In this age, their one time American allies are the new infidels. Afghanistan once again became a staging ground for a conflict that garnered international attention immediately following September 11th. In what is known as Operation Enduring Freedom, coalition nations led by the United States continue to help mold Afghanistan into a shining example of Islamic democracy.

This current operation is doing what the Soviets would have liked to carry out. But, in my opinion, what is occurring in Afghanistan today is a just and righteous movement towards freedom for all people of the world. Socialism was not the answer then, and is not the answer now, for any human being. Neither is Islamic fundamentalism that, for example, preaches the subservience of women. However, the question may be asked as to why America and the United Nations have succeeded in Afghanistan. The answer lies in the proxy war. Operation Enduring Freedom is not a proxy war. It is instead the liberation of hope within a people that will be able to live democratically while nurturing their culture. The Soviet war in Afghanistan, and even American intervention in Vietnam, did not boast those traits. Ideology cannot be imposed on a foreign people. Nevertheless, freedom can indeed be provided by humanitarian military intervention and that is exactly what the current Operation Enduring Freedom is achieving.