Facts and myths about the Afghan war

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In December 1979, Soviet troops entered Afghanistan in order to support the friendly regime, and were intending to leave in a year at most. But the good intentions of the Soviet Union turned into a long war. Today, some are trying to present this war as villainy or the result of a conspiracy. Let's look at those events as a tragedy, and try to dispel the myths that are appearing today.

Fact: the introduction of OKSAV is a forced measure to protect geopolitical interests

On December 12, 1979, at a meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU, a decision was made and formalized by a secret resolution to send troops to Afghanistan. These measures were not resorted to in order to seize the territory of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union's interest was primarily in protecting its own borders, and secondly, in opposing US attempts to gain a foothold in the region. The formal basis for the introduction of troops was the repeated requests of the Afghan leadership.

On the one hand, the participants in the conflict were the armed forces of the government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, and on the other, the armed opposition (mujahideen, or dushmans). The spooks received support from NATO members and Pakistani intelligence services. The struggle was for complete political control over Afghan territory.

According to statistics, Soviet troops were in Afghanistan for 9 years and 64 days. The maximum number of the contingent of Soviet troops in 1985 reached 108, 8 thousand after which it steadily decreased. The withdrawal of troops began 8 years and 5 months after the start of their presence in the country, and by August 1988 the number of Soviet troops in Afghanistan was only 40 thousand. To date, the United States of America and its allies have been in this country for over 11 years.

Myth: Western aid to the mujahideen did not begin until after the Soviet invasion

Western propaganda portrayed the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan as an aggression to seize new territories. However, the West began to support the leaders of the mujahideen even before 1979. Robert Gates, who was a CIA officer at the time and served as Secretary of Defense under President Obama, describes the events of March 1979 in his memoirs. Then, according to him, the CIA discussed the issue of whether it is worth supporting the Mujahideen further in order to "drag the USSR into the swamp", and a decision was made to supply the Mujahideen with money and weapons.

Fact: The losses of the Soviet troops are much less than the American ones

In total, according to updated data, the losses of the Soviet Army in the Afghan war amounted to 14, 427 thousand people dead and missing. More than 53 thousand people were shell-shocked, wounded or injured. For courage and heroism shown in Afghanistan, more than 200 thousand servicemen were awarded orders and medals (11 thousand were awarded posthumously), 86 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (28 posthumously).

For about the same period of time, the American army in Vietnam lost 47, 378 people in hostilities and another 10, 779 dead. More than 152 thousand were injured, 2, 3 thousand were missing.

The USSR, the maintenance of the army and the conduct of hostilities in Afghanistan cost $ 3 billion annually, and another $ 800 million was allocated to support the Kabul regime. The United States spent $ 165 billion on the Vietnam War alone.

Myth: The USSR withdrew its troops from Afghanistan because the CIA provided the Mujahideen with Stinger missiles

Pro-Western media claimed to have turned the tide of the war for Charlie Wilson by convincing Ronald Reagan of the need to supply mujahideen with portable anti-aircraft missile systems designed to combat helicopters. This myth was voiced in the book "Charlie Wilson's War" by George Cryle and in the film of the same name, where Tom Hanks played the role of a loud congressman.

In fact, the Stringers only forced the Soviet troops to change tactics. The Mujahideen did not have night vision devices and helicopters operated at night. The pilots launched strikes from a greater height, which undoubtedly reduced their accuracy, but the level of losses of the Afghan and Soviet aviation, in comparison with the statistics of the first six years of the war, practically did not change.

The decision to withdraw Soviet troops from Afghanistan was taken by the government of the USSR in October 1985 - even after the mujahideen began to receive "Stringers" in significant quantities, which happened only in the fall of 1986. An analysis of the declassified minutes of the Politburo meetings shows that no innovations in the armament of the Afghan mujahideen, including the Stringers as the reason for the withdrawal of troops, were ever mentioned.

Fact: During the American presence in Afghanistan, drug production has increased significantly

Unlike the once introduced Soviet contingent, the American military does not control the entire territory of Afghanistan. It is also undeniable that after Afghanistan was occupied by NATO troops, the production of drugs in this country increased significantly. It is believed that the Americans turn a blind eye to the rapid growth in heroin production quite consciously, realizing that an active fight against the drug business will dramatically increase the losses of American troops.

If until 2001 drug trafficking in Afghanistan repeatedly became the subject of discussion in the UN Security Council, then later this issue was no longer brought up for discussion. It is also a fact that 2 times more people die from heroin produced in Afghanistan every year in Russia and Ukraine than in 10 years of war in Afghanistan.

Myth: after the withdrawal of Soviet troops, the West left Afghanistan

After the withdrawal of the Soviet military contingent from the territory of Afghanistan, the United States continued to maintain close ties with the mujahideen. Washington blocked all proposals of President Mohammed Najibullah for negotiations and concessions. The Americans continued to arm jihadists and guerrillas, hoping they would overthrow Najibullah's pro-Moscow regime.

This time became for Afghanistan the most destructive period in the recent history of the country: Pakistan and the West deprived the country of a unique opportunity to end the civil war. Charles Cogan, who served as the CIA's director of operations in South Asia and the Middle East from 1979-1984, later admitted: “I doubt whether we should have helped the Mujahideen by inertia after the Soviets left. Looking back, I think it was a mistake."

Fact: Americans were forced to redeem weapons donated to them from Afghans

When Soviet troops entered Afghanistan, the United States, according to various estimates, presented the Mujahideen from 500 to 2 thousand Stinger portable anti-aircraft missile systems. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the country, the American government began to buy back the donated missiles at $ 183,000 apiece, while the cost of the Stinger was $ 38,000.

Myth: Mujahideen overthrew the Kabul regime and won a major victory over Moscow

The main factor that undermined Najibullah's position was Moscow's statement in September 1991, made shortly after the collapse of the coup against Gorbachev. Yeltsin, who came to power, decided to reduce the country's international obligations. Russia announced that it would stop supplying weapons to Kabul, as well as supplies of food and any other aid.

This decision was disastrous for the morale of the supporters of Najibullah, whose regime lasted only 2 years, after the Soviet troops left Afghanistan. Many military leaders and political allies of Najibullah went over to the side of the mujahideen. As a result, Najibullah's army was not defeated. She just melted. It turned out that Moscow overthrew the government, for which it was paid with the lives of the Soviet people.

Fact: the USSR made a fatal mistake - it could not leave Afghanistan in time

"Afghan long-term construction" had a very negative impact on the USSR. It is believed that it was the unsuccessful Soviet military intervention that became one of the main reasons for the disappearance of the Soviet Union from the political map of the world. If the entry of troops in 1979 intensified the "anti-Russian sentiments" in the West, and in the countries of the socialist camp, and in the Islamic world, then the forced withdrawal of troops and the change of political allies and partners in Kabul became one of the most fatal mistakes, calling into question all that positive that the USSR did not only during the ten-year stay of OKSVA, but also for many years before that.

Myth: Today, the US is rebuilding the Afghan economy

According to statistics for 12 years, the United States has invested $ 96.6 billion in the Afghan economy. True, no one can say how much was spent on the appointment. It is known that American businessmen who are engaged in the restoration of the Afghan economy, allowed by the war, have invented a multi-stage corruption scheme for appropriating funds from the US budget through Afghanistan. According to the Stringers Bureau of International Investigation, billions of dollars are disappearing in unknown directions.

During the Soviet presence in Afghanistan, the USSR built two gas pipelines, several GSE and CHP, power lines, 2 airports, more than a dozen oil depots, industrial enterprises, bakeries, a Mother and Child Center, clinics, Polytechnic Institute, vocational schools, schools - more than 200 different industrial facilities and social infrastructure.