Ted Welch:

the US goaded the Soviets into invading

The Soviets were big boys and can take responsibility for their own actions.  They hardly invaded/entered Afghanistan to assist the education of girls.  The problem is that the US response probably made matter even worse, because they gave most of their arms to the most blood-thirsty overlord of all who killed more people than anyone.  But the US/Soviet "cold war" is the overlying cause of the slaughter.  Tribal rivalries are bad enough but they only become truly lethal when rifles are replaced with rockets.  The US saw the conflict through the prism of the cold war.  Wiser counsel would have taken more account of tribal divisions and conflicts.  But the idea of getting the Soviets out of Afghanistan is not, of itself, so outrageous given the brutality of their occupation.


Index of Frank's Diaries