Afghanistan

1
Afghanistan
These areas used to be part of the USSR
A communist country
2
Afghanistan

• Invaded December 1979
• The Russians went in to support the Communist
  Govt which was becoming unpopular
• Invasion was met with heavy resistance

3
Americans were frightened that the Russians would
advance upon the oil supplies in the Persian Gulf
The Americans were also having problems with Iran
Rather than send in troops, the Americans backed
the Mujahidin
Allies of Osama Bin Laden
They also boycotted the Moscow Olympics of 1980
Yes you did read that right
The Mujahidin continued their opposition to the
Russians and enjoyed US backing
Despite this, Afghanistan went communist
4
Afghanistan
In 1989 with the end of Communism in Russia in
sight, the USSR pulled out of Afghanistan
The Mujahidin continued their fight against the
communist govt, removing it in 1992
To stop the war lords who sprang up after the
fall of the Communists, Pakistan gave arms and
money to the Taliban
They controlled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001,
when their ally Osama Bin Laden bombed the World
Trade Centre for the Second Time
A US led coalition invaded in October 2001
removing the Taliban from power