Mujahideen
The Mujahideen were militant Islamist groups originating from Afghanistan, primarily active from the late 1970s to the late 1980s. They emerged in response to the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan, which followed a coup that established a Marxist government. The Mujahideen, motivated by a call for jihad against the invading forces, unified various tribal militias and engaged in guerrilla warfare, utilizing ambushes and sabotage tactics effectively against both Soviet troops and the Afghan government. The conflict drew significant international attention, with the United States covertly supporting the Mujahideen by providing training and military supplies, viewing their struggle as part of a broader effort to counter communism during the Cold War.
By 1988, the war had become unsustainable for the Soviet Union, leading to their withdrawal from Afghanistan. Following this, the Mujahideen coalesced into factions, with the Taliban emerging as the most powerful group. Despite their victory over the Soviet-backed government, the Mujahideen never formed a cohesive organization, resulting in ongoing power struggles among various leaders and warlords. This fragmentation contributed to instability in Afghanistan, as the country transitioned from Soviet occupation to civil conflict. The Mujahideen's legacy is complex and viewed through multiple lenses, reflecting the multifaceted nature of Afghan society and the geopolitical dynamics of the era.
Mujahideen
The Mujahideen were militant Islamist radicals based out of Afghanistan. They operated from the late 1970s to the late 1980s before dividing into various tribal splinter groups. The Mujahideen were famous for fighting against the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
The Origins of the War
Before 1978, Afghanistan was not involved in the Cold War, an arms race and series of proxy battles between the two global superpowers of the time, the United States and the Soviet Union. Afghanistan had a neutral, centrist government. However, leftist rebels initiated a coup, forcing the centrist government out of power. They replaced it with a Marxist, communist-sympathizing government.
The United States quickly took notice of this change. During much of the Cold War, the United States believed that allowing one country to adopt a communist-style government would cause other nations to do the same, creating a powerful domino effect. The United States feared that if more countries adopted communism, the power and influence of the capitalist, democratic nations of the world would begin to fade. Because of this, it would go to any length short of open war with the Soviet Union to stomp out burgeoning communist governments.
Afghanistan’s fledgling government could not stand on its own. Armed militias quickly rose against it and protested against its more secular nature. These militias also became heavily involved in political infighting between the government’s new factions.
The Soviet Union recognized it could not allow Afghanistan’s government to fail. A successful communist revolution might encourage other nations with leftist factions to help convert their governments. However, the dramatic failure of a new communist government might discourage future revolutionaries. For this reason, the Soviet Union sent roughly thirty thousand soldiers to help support Afghanistan’s communist regime.
The Soviet Invasion
The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan did not sit well with the fractured militia groups already active in the nation. The tribal Muslim militias declared a jihad, or holy war, against the atheist Soviet invaders. The tribes unified, forming the Mujahideen.
Originally, the Soviet Union assumed that the Afghani military would be able to put down the rebellion. However, the fanatically motivated Mujahideen quickly overran the poorly disciplined and funded government troops. Many Afghani soldiers deserted, and those who fought were not successful.
When the Soviet leaders realized that their armed forces would have to handle the rebellions themselves, they massively increased the number of Soviet troops stationed in Afghanistan. Eventually, roughly one hundred thousand Soviet soldiers occupied Afghanistan’s large towns and cities. However, the Mujahideen remained in control of Afghanistan’s vast deserts and countryside. The rebels waged a guerilla war against both the Afghani government and the Soviet invaders. They used ambushes, bombs, and sabotage to inflict heavy casualties on their targets and usually escaped back into the countryside before they could be captured.
The Soviet soldiers then attempted to diminish the Mujahideen’s support among the civilian population of Afghanistan. They carpet-bombed and depopulated large areas suspected of harboring rebels. The intended goal of these tactics was to make the population too fearful to associate with the Mujahideen. However, these tactics instead caused millions of civilians to flee the country in fear. Almost three million people fled to Pakistan, and more than one million fled to Iran.
The United States eventually intervened. It sent covert operatives to contact Mujahideen leaders to organize secret talks. The United States wanted to support the Mujahideen’s battle against the Soviet Union and Afghanistan’s communist government. US soldiers trained Mujahideen fighters. The United States also secretly sold and donated large quantities of guns, ammunition, explosives, and other types of military hardware to the rebels. This allowed the Mujahideen to successfully fight Soviet airpower and armored vehicles.
End of the Mujahideen
By 1988, the war had proven too costly for the Soviet Union. It formally agreed to withdraw its troops, and the international community agreed to treat Afghanistan as an unaligned nation. The Mujahideen, which had merged into a loose organization called the Taliban, continued to wage war against remnants of the Soviet government. Three years after the Soviet departure, the Taliban conquered and occupied Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. The leftist government supported by the Soviet Union was overthrown and replaced with Mujahideen rule.
Neither the original Mujahideen nor the Taliban was ever a completely unified organization. Instead, they operated under various individual leaders and warlords as several distinct groups, all working toward a common cause. However, with that cause removed, the leaders began to argue. Some had religious or ideological disagreements, while others fought over power and territory. With Pakistani support, the Taliban emerged as the most powerful Mujahideen faction. However, it was unable to completely conquer its rivals. Consequentially, Afghanistan lacked any strong central government under the Mujahideen.
Bibliography
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