US Policy in Afghanistan: Time for a Change
Abstract
Contrary to U.S. expectations, the departure of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in February 1989 did not lead to the collapse of the Najibullah government left behind in Kabul. Two years later, the mujahidin are no closer to dislodging Najibullah then they were in 1979. Given this stalemate, should the United States continue its policy of supporting the mujahidin or look for another solution to the Afghan conflict? Situated next to Soviet Central Asia, Afghanistan has long concerned rulers in Moscow. Afghanistan's boundaries are the result of Moscow's and London's desire for a buffer area between their colonial empires. The USSR has been a major aid donor for Afghanistan since the 1950s, and probably approved in advance the April 1978 coup by the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). The PDPA's reform attempts provoked opposition and increasing internal instability. In December 1979, Soviet troops invaded Afghanistan and installed a new PDPA government. Various guerrilla groups and political parties, known collectively as the mujahidin, sprang up in opposition to the Soviet presence. Over the next decade, the USSR had as many as 120,000 troops deployed at one time in Afghanistan, but failed to defeat the mujahidin. This essay chronicles the role played by the United States and the USSR during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and immediately afterward. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan posed a direct threat to U.S. interests in the region and prompted congressional approval of covert aid to mujahidin. Pakistan became the channel for money and weapons passing from other countries to the mujahidin, and also received monetary aid from the United States. Similarly, Moscow sent aid to the Najibullah government, both during its occupation and after. The author examines past and present U.S. policy toward Afghanistan and sets forth new policy recommendations for this post-invasion era.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 25, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA437594
Entities
People
- Laurie Johnston
Organizations
- National War College