U.S. Military Involvement in Afghanistan DID NOT start 20 years ago.

[berni_mccoy]

It's more like 40-50 years ago.

It began in the 70's with Operation Cyclone which was designed to train and arm the Afghan mujahideen, led by none other than Osama Bin Laden, in guerrilla warfare tactics against an invading Soviet Union. Members of US Special Forces personally trained Osama Bin Laden and funding for the mujahideen was provided by the US through Pakistan.

We created the monster who came back to bite us for not honoring our commitment in the Middle East when Bush Sr. failed to pull the troops out of Saudi Arabia after the first Gulf War. And many bad things happened since then.

These many bad things that happened wouldn't have happened if the United States didn't live and breathe a culture of aggression and we honored our word to the international community more.

So please, when people say we've been there 20 years, remind them, it's been much much longer and remind them that during all of its existence, the US has only had 16 years of real peacetime.

[sprinkleeninow]

1. ...

..."live and breathe a culture of aggression..."

My dad and his 2 brothers served in WWII which I hold as a war of necessity. Although I generally detest war and its destructive components.

Thank you for your informative post.

[wyn borkins]

2. Believe it or Not

Since Its Birth The USA Has Only Had 17 Years of Peace (by Christian Oord, Guest Author on War History Online, dated 19 March 2019).

[moondust]

3. These guys?

[Irish_Dem]

4. The Afghan war lords have been getting sacks full of US cash for a very long time.

[Throck]

5. There's a difference between involvement and interference.

The world is made of diverse cultures, they should be able to exist and move at their own pace. When someone tries to change that pace or direction is usually when problems occur.

Sort of like the prime directive in Star Trek.

[Moebym]

6. An important fact that has been glossed over

The messy pullout of 2021 is the culmination of decades of mistakes, miscalculations, revenge-seeking, hubris, cowardice and greed.

[EX500rider]

7. "Afghan mujahideen, led by none other than Osama Bin Laden" Not really.

There were seven main mujahedeen parties of Afghans and led by Afghans.
Osama led the Arab brigade.

Although the mujahedeen were aided by the Pakistani, American, British, Chinese and Saudi governments, the mujahideen's primary source of funding was private donors and religious charities throughout the Muslim world—particularly in the Persian Gulf. Jason Burke recounts that "as little as 25 per cent of the money for the Afghan jihad was actually supplied directly by states.

British journalist Jason Burke wrote that "He (Osama) did not receive any direct funding or training from the US during the 1980s. Nor did his followers. The Afghan mujahideen, via Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency, received large amounts of both.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mujahideen#Afghanistan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osama_bin_Laden#Militant_and_political_career