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| Civil war in Afghanistan | |||||||
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 Sharbat Gula, photographed by Steve McCurry, on the famous cover of the June 1985 Edition of National Geographic Magazine. As her fate was unknown, her picture symbolised the plight of the Afghan people and became iconic for the Afghan Civil War. |
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| Soviet involvement – Government collapse – Anarchy – Taliban control – US/NATO involvement |
The Civil war in Afghanistan, also known as Afghan Civil War, began in 1978 and has continued since, though it has included several distinct phases.
Contents |
Timeline
The Saur Revolution
April 27, 1978 A military coup d'état was led by the unified communist parties of Khalq and Parcham, after the death of one of Parcham's prominent members. President Mohammed Daoud Khan was killed along with members of his family as coup forces took the presidential palace.[1]
Soviet involvement
The newly installed communist government encountered resistance to its programs. At its request, the Soviet Union intervened with its armed forces. Even with Soviet support the government failed to effectively control the country and stop the rebellion, which had support from Pakistan, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. The Soviet Union withdrew its forces in 1989.
Government collapse
After the Soviet withdrawal, the Republic of Afghanistan continued to deal with attacks from the Mujahideen. They received funding and arms from the Soviet Union for several years and actually increased their effectiveness past levels ever achieved during the Soviet military presence. But the government was dealt a major blow when Abdul Rashid Dostum, a leading general, defected to the Mujahideen.
Anarchy
After taking power, the unity of the Mujahideen evaporated and fighting began between them. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar was blamed for a rocket attack on the government, prompting Dostum to launch a campaign against him. Dostum later joined forces with Hekmatyar and fighting destroyed much of Kabul as the nation was split along ethnic lines. In 1994, the predominately Pashtun Taliban Movement was formed in southern Afghanistan with Pakistani support. It made rapid gains for the next two years against both Dostum and Tajik commander Ahmad Shah Massoud; in 1996 the Taliban took the capital.
Taliban control
After the fall of Kabul, Dostum and Massoud joined forces to form the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan (Northern Alliance). During this time the Taliban continued to make gains against the Alliance, eventually taking up to 95% of Afghanistan. Dostum was forced out of Afghanistan, and Massoud was assassinated on September 9, 2001, most probably by al-Qaeda operatives.
United States involvement
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States and allies with the help of the Northern Alliance overthrew the Taliban and established a new republic under president Hamid Karzai. Taliban resistance continues in the southern part of the country, along the border with Pakistan.
Notes
- ^ p. 88 of Ewans, Martin (2002) Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics HarperCollins, New York, Page 88 ISBN 0-06-050507-9
