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Mujahedeen Consequences

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In April of 1978, a military coup brought a leftwing “PDPA” (People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan) to power. After some convincing by Afghanistan's President Taraki, Moscow sent hundreds of advisers to advance socialism. The USSR ensured its position as a major power broker and influential mentor in the newly socialist Afghan political system, ranging from involvement in the civil-military infrastructure to changes in Afghan society. And, at first, socialism agreed with Afghanistan. The newly implemented left-wing regime handed land from large owners to peasants who worked it. Women were encouraged to stop wearing veils, and were put in literacy classes with men. However, the reforms were seen as challenges to Islamic fundamentalists, …show more content…
Thousands of refugees crossed the border, escaping into camps in Pakistan and Iran with positively dismal conditions. The Mujahedeen were gaining popular support, but still lacked the training or weaponry to seriously challenge the Soviet presence. This rag-tag group of misfits’ main advantage was not any physical attribute, but the strength of their moral-based argument: that the Soviet-influenced socialist regime (and Soviet presence) challenged the traditions of Islam. This simple moral argument was all that was necessary to rally many youths to join the Mujahedeen, as well as convince much of the Afghani population to eventually support their cause. Anti-Communist countries around the world, particularly the US, began referring to the men as “freedom fighters.” The most notable example of this occurred in the White House in 1985, when Ronald Reagan is quoted as having said, “These gentlemen are the moral equivalent of America’s founding fathers.” However, the support they received from the United States was not a happy accident, nor was it simply a recognition of their …show more content…
On October 4, 2001, British Prime Minister Tony Blair released information compiled by Western intelligence agencies connecting Osama bin Laden to the Afghanistan's Taliban leadership as well as being the leader of the al-Qaeda organization. Ultimately, al-Qaeda became infamous for planning and carrying out the attacks on the World Trade Center towers on September 11th, 2001, killing over 2000 people. The Taliban government gave safe haven to Osama bin Laden in the years leading up to the attack, and bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network may have had a close relationship with the Taliban army and police. So, an American-supported group not only turned away from American ideals, but sought to commit jihad (or “holy war”) against their original

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