Russbeck.soviet Invasion Of Afghanistan.120208

Pre-Invasion

Herat Uprising 1979

Afghanistan Coup D'etat 1978

Soviets in Kabul 1979

After the Cou D'etat, the ruling party in Afghanistan split into 2 factions. Parchamis (Moderate) - President Karmal Khaliqis (Radical) - President Amin *When in power, they suppressed the Parchamis *Did not work well together.

Babrack Karmal back in Afghanistan 1979

Invasion December 27, 1979

President Amin Poisoned 1979

Late War and Governmental Changes

Uprisings, Strikes, and Massacres

Invasion

President Karmal Instated December 28, 1979

Kabul Uprising 1980

Student Demonstrations 1980

Terrorist Strikes 1980

Massacres 1980

Summit Against Jihad for Afghanistan 1981

Soviets use Chemical Warfare 1982

Prisoners/Hunger Strikes 1982

Soviet Withdrawal and the End of the War

Mikhail Gorbachev in the Soviet Union 1985

End of Karmal's Reign 1985

Karmal's 2nd Exile to Moscow 1987

Najib Allah President 1986

Osama bin Laden

Born in Kamari east in Kabul, Afghanistan. He lived in hardship after his mother's death. in 1951, he enrolled at the College of Law and Political Sciences. Karmal was arrested in 1952 for holding rallies in support of Abdul Rahman Mahmudi, a revolutionary figure of the 50s. In prison, he came into his pro-Soviet ideals. He was released in 1955 and resumed his studies. After graduation, he joined the Ministry of planning and stayed close with Mier Mohammed Siddiq Farhang, an ex-fellow inmate. They both played a leading role in influencing the youth in adhering to communism.

Osama bin Laden began his involvement in the Soviet-Afghan war after graduating from the King Abdul Aziz University. He had met Afghan mujahideen leaders at Mecca during the annual Hajj. Shortly after his graduation, he travelled to Pakistan to donate to the jamaat-e-Islami, Zia's Pakistani offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Afterwards, bin Laden met with Saudi princes and talked about the Afghani jihad. He imported construction equipment to help with the struggle, and even took up arms himself and a few occasions. With Abdallah Azzam, bin Laden set up an

Babrak Karmal

The Soviets placed him in power in late December 1979. He ruled until 1986, and died in Moscow in 1996.

Geneva Accords 1988

The Geneva Accords 1988

Babrak Karmal

On January 1, 1965 the PDPA was founded in Kabul, with Karmal serving as one of the 28 founding fathers. In 1967, the PDPA split and Karmal headed the smaller Parchami faction. After the PDPA assumed power via a coup d'etat in Afghanistan, Karmal was exiled from Afghanistan and ended up in Moscow.

The accords consisted of a bilateral agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan on the principles of mutual relations, especially non-interference and non-intervention; a declaration on international guarantees, signed by the USSR and the USA; a bilateral agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan on the voluntary return of Afghan refugees; and an agreement on the settlement of the situation relating to Afghanistan, signed by Afghanistan and Pakistan and witnessed by the Soviet Union and the United States. Also contained was a timetable of the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan. It officially began on 15 May 1988 and ended by 15 February 1989. The Mujahideen, were neither party to the negotiations nor to the Geneva accords and refused to accept the terms. Therefore, the civil war continued after the Soviet withdrawal. The Soviet-backed regime of Najibullah was able to remain in power until 1992, when it collapsed and was overrun by

Osama bin Laden

Afghanistan Coup d'etat in Afghanistan Communists in Afghanistan stage a coup d'etat. Lead by officers committed to Socialism, the group was split into two factions, the People's party (Khalq) and the Party of the Flag (Parcham). Babrak Karmal led the Parcham faction and was exiled to Moscow. GW - Previous President Mohammed Daoud was killed by Soviet backed conspirators and the Afghan army. 4/27/1978 1:00:00 AM

Exile Ruling party no longer holds control By December of that year the party had lost control of all but the cities and was facing a rising tide of resistance accompanied by the wholesale emigration of trained officials fleeing the purges. 12/1/1979 8:00:00 PM

Ruler

Hakeemi warns Amin that the Soviets are up to no good A. H. Hakeemi, commander of the Bagram air base, informed Amin that the Soviets seemed to be up to something sinister. 12/18/1979 8:00:00 PM

Soviet and Afghan leaders sign a treaty of friendship The Soviet leadership, which feared a rapprochement between the Afghan regime and the two allies of America -- Iran under the shah and Pakistan under General Zia ul-Haq -- in December 1978 the Afghan leaders signed a treaty of friendship that bound their country to the Soviet Union. 12/5/1978 7:00:00 PM

Alternative Hypothesis

What if? Karmal was not exiled. if Karmal and fellow Parchamis were not exiled to Moscow, the Soviets would have had no one obvious to insert into the new Afghani Government. Odds are, they would have chosen Karmal either way because the pro-Soviet ideals of the Parchamis. However, they could have chosen a Russian, or another Afghani who found refuge with the Soviets before the war.

Karmal back to Afghanistan Babrak Karmal returns to Afghanistan at the Bagram Air Base. 12/7/1979 7:00:00 PM

President Amin Poisoned President Amin was poisoned when consuming a special lunchaeon at the palace arranged in honor of Ghulam Dastagir Panjsheri, who had returned from a long trip to the Soviet Union. The soup, mixed with ashak, was served by two Russian girls was poisoned by someone. The hospital he was taken to also fell under attack. In this attack, Amin was killed by Soviet troops while fleeing. 12/27/1979 1:00:00 PM

Poisoning of Afghan Dignitaries

Asadullah Amin poisoned Asadullah Amin, nephew of President Amin, consumed a poisonous apple. He was sent to Moscow for treatment. This happened before the Soviet Invasion.

President Amin

Karmal instated in Kabul Babrak Karmal, outcast leader of the Parcham, was declared the President of the Revolutionary Council of Afghanistan. 12/28/1979 7:00:00 PM Afghan Palace in Kabul attacked At 7:20, Tapa-e-Tajbeg was shelled by rockets from the West side. While the palace was under fire, the Soviet troops moved into position 12/27/1979 7:20:00 PM

New Government Announced The names of the minsters of the new Government are announced. They include Pachamis, Khalqis, and a few pro-Parcham individuals. 1/10/1980 4:00:00 PM

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan Designed to halt the regime's suicidal policies, which threatened the very foundations of the "socialist edifice." At 6:30, an explosion occured in the central part of the general communications system in the city of Kabul. 12/27/1979 6:30:00 PM

Herat Uprising in Afghanistan 25,000 people killed in an anti-communism revolt. "The Soviets stepped in to support their puppet Kabul regime. Squadrons of ground-attack bombers...based at Doshanbe in Russian Tajikstan...dropped their payloads on Herat." 3/1/1979 8:00:00 PM

The Soviet Union Soviets put men in Kabul A Soviet Battalion disguised as aircraft technicians had landed at the Bagram air base north of Kabul "to protect and defend the airfield where the Soviet aircraft were landing bringing aid cargo to Afghanistan...The place was a sort of bridghead where Soviet specialists and advisers with their families could assemble if the situation got worse." 7/7/1979 7:00:00 PM

Inner Circle of Politburo meets Meeting in Moscow, the Politburo's inner circle made the first tentative decision to invade. Clandestine Soviet military units began to infiltrate Afghanistan. 11/26/1979 7:00:00 PM

Soviet Supreme Council against troop in Kabul The Soviet Supreme Council declared the dispatch of troops to Afghanistan unconsitutional. While castigating Leonid Brezhenev, chair of the Soviet politburo, and others for sending troops into Afghanistan, it declared that the decision to invade Afghanistan "was made by a small circle of people in violation of the Soviet consitution, according to shich such matters belong to the jurisdiction of higher state bodies." 12/23/1979 7:00:00 AM

United States aid begins Jimmy Carter's White House sends classified proposals to help the anti-communist rebels in Afghanistan. 3/1/1979 7:00:00 PM

United States CIA aid Jimmy Carter's deputy national security security adviser, David Aaron, chaired a second secret session of the Special Coordination Committee to consider direct American covert aid to the Afghan rebellion. 3/30/1979 8:00:00 PM

Afghan Girl

Carter approves CIA aid Jimmy Carter scrawled his name on a presidential "finding" required under a recent law intended to ensure White House control over the CIA operations. Under the new system, if the CIA intended to undertake activites that influenced foreign political conditions, the president had to give them the go ahead. He approved an expendature of $500,000 in cash to Afghan rebels. 7/3/1979 7:00:00 AM

Coup Anniversary The regime commemorates the Second Anniversary of the coup in a strict ceremony. 4/27/1980 7:00:00 PM

Massoud Truce begins to unravel An assassination attempt on Massoud exposed spies amongst the rebels. However, Massoud's own spies learned of a major plan of the Soviets, a 20,000 man assault on Panjshir. He ordered an evacuation of the valley three days before the invasion. Then, when the Soviets came, he attacked them from caves, ambushed the enemy, and fought at night when the Soviets were the most vulnerable. 4/1/1985 8:00:00 PM

Terrorism strike Khalqis By this point 10-12 members of the party were being killed by acts of terror every day. This led to Soviets stopping patrolling cities. By November, this number dropped to 3 per day. 7/1/1980 8:00:00 PM

Prisoners Strike At Pul-e-Charki prison, a substance was mingled with food to cause diarrhea. The inmates, who lacked diarrhea medicine, were only allowed to use the very few toilets at set times. Because of this, inmates were forced to use plastic bags in their living quarters. This led to the greatest strike in Afghanistan history by the prisoners. 5/1/1982 4:00:00 PM

Hunger Strike The hunger strike was triggered when a teapot of hot water given to a sick inmate by a friend who worked in the only workshop set up in cellblock number 2. A guard beat both of the prisoners -- standard punishment for minor infractions. Scuffles followed, but this time the enraged fellow inmates of the sick inmate drove the guard away from their hall and began a hunger strike. By evening, all inmates of cellblock number 2 joined, and they locked the iron gates to the hall. No amount of pleading persuaded them. By the fourth day, the Soviet army had surrounded the cellblock. On the fourth day, the commanders overcame the weak inmates. The inmates were punished in numerous ways, including packing inmates into cellblock 3. 5/20/1982 4:00:00 PM

Summit decides against calling for a jihad in Afghanistan The Summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference at Taif, Saudi Arabia decide agaisnt calling for a jihad in Afghanistan. Instead, the called for cooperation with the UN secretary general in bringing an end to a situation that was "prejudicial to the Afghan people." 1/1/1981 8:00:00 PM

Student Demonstrations Student's peaceful procession turns bloody when the Parchami Youths kill 10, including Miss Naheed, a high school student who became a martyr. 4/29/1980 8:00:00 PM

Mujahideen control Countryside CIA Director William Casey briefed President Reagan that the Mujahideen controlled 62 percent of the countryside. More sophisticated weapons were sent to the Afghan resistance. 1/1/1984 8:00:00 PM

Uprising in Kabul Starting in Herat, Afghanistan, the men of the city, at the first sight of Russian soldiers, left their homes for mosques and other open spaces and called for prayer. All shops, except those that were essential, were closed. The citizens of Kabul joined in on January 22, 1980. Thousands of Afghan citizens congregated in different parts of the city simultaniously. They began to march and the Soviet forces attempted to stop them. After firing warning shots in the air, the troops fired on the demonstrators.

Mikhail Gorbachev in Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev rises as secretary of the Soviet Communist Party. The Soviets began to change and relaxed worldwide tensions. 3/1/1985 7:00:00 PM

Russians use Chemical Warfare George Shultz, the former American secretary of state, had dealt with the subject of chemical warfare in Afghanistan in detail. According to Shultz, "Reports of chemical attacks from February through October 1982 indicate that the Soviet forces continue their selective use of chemicals and toxins against the resistance in Afghanistan. 2/1/1982 8:00:00 PM

Karmal's policies in response to these uprisings was one of repression. 2/22/1980 7:00:00 PM

Miracle on Ice The United States defeat the Soviet Union hockey team, dubbed the Miracle on Ice, and eventually takes Gold in the 1980 Winter Olympics held in Lake Placid, New York. The event is said to have revitalized the nation's Cold War efforts. 2/22/1980 w

Russian Rockets hit Wedding Party Hundreds of villagers were convivially celebrating wedding ceremonies in the Ganjabad village. Suddenly, they were hit with rockets fired from a group of helicopter gunships. About 150 were killed, and scores others wounded. 9/15/1980 8:00:00 PM

Najib Allah

Soviets Boycott Olympics The Soviet Union leads a boycott on the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California in response to the US boycott four years earlier. 5/8/1984 w

Newsweek

UN calls for withdrawal The United Nations General Assembly calls for a Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan. 1/1/1982 w

CIA ups Funding The CIA has a funding surge for the Mujahideen, pushed by Charlie Wilson. They decided to up the funding to $250 Million, about as much as the previous years combined.

Picture 3

By: Russell Beck

Works Cited Bergen, Peter L. Holy War, Inc : Inside the Secret World of Osama bin Laden. New York: Free P, 2001. Bergen, Peter L. The Osama Bin Laden I Know : An Oral History of Al Qaeda's Leader. New York: Free P, 2006. Cleveland, William L. History of the Modern Middle East. New York: HarperCollins Canada, Limited, 1999. Coll, Steve. Ghost Wars : The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001. New York: Penguin P HC, The, 2004.

Afghanistan

Russian Federation

Saudi Arabia United States Alternate Explanation

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Expanded Explanations

Key Event

Kakar, Mohammed. Afghanistan: The Soviet Invasion and the Afghan Response, 1979-1982. Berkeley: University of

Geneva Accords Afghanistan, Pakistan, the US, and the Soviet Union all ratified the Geneva Accords, that layed out the formal terms of the Soviet Withdrawal. 4/14/1988 w

End of the War Soviets finish withdrawel. 2/15/1989 1:00:00 PM

Troops Pull-Out

Response

10/1/1984 7:00:00 PM

Executive Summary

Najib Allah to Moscow Najib Allah was told by Gorbachev to strengthen his political influence and expect a Soviet withdrawal in two years. 12/24/1986 w

What If? The Soviets and Massoud did not agree to a truce? Had a deal never been struck, the valley of Panjshir would have been reduced completely to rubble by fighting. Every citizen of the area would have had to relocate. The truce saved the region.

Celebration

Picture 48

Mujahideen

Alternative Hypothesis

US Olympics

Carter and Reagan authorize weapon shipment Cater signed a Top Secret finding in December 1979, and Reagan reauthorized it in 1981. The finding permitted the CIA to ship weapons to the Mujahideen directly, to harass the Soviets. They felt that if they raised the cost of the Soviets, they might back off. 12/15/1979 7:00:00 PM

Massoud and Soviets agree to a Deal Ahmed Shah Massoud repelled six Soviet offenses on the city of Panjshir. In the Spring of 1983, Massoud and the Soviets ended secret negotiations to sign an unprecedented truce. The Soviets would stop attacked Panjshir, and the Afghan army was able to operate a base at the Southern end of the valley. 4/1/1983 8:00:00 PM

US refuses to participate in Olympic Games The United States boycott the 1980 Summer Olympics, held in Moscow. 7/19/1980 w

The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan began on December 27, 1979 as a last hurrah for the Soviet Union. The US decided to aid Mujahideen resistance in Afghanistan before the invasion began. During the war, the Soviet Union used Chemical Warfare against the Mujahideen, even though that tactic of war was outlawed. Throughout the war, the two super powers played a game with each other related to this war and the Cold War between the US and the USSR. First, the US hockey team defeated the juggernaut Soviets in the semi-finals of the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York. Now referred to as the Miracle on Ice, it is said that this victory renewed the hope of a nation tired of the Cold War. Then, the US boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics, held in Moscow. The USSR responded by boycotting the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Later in 1984, the US upped its CIA funding significantly. Finally, the 1988 Geneva Accords laid out the Soviet withdrawal and ended the war within a year on February 15, 1989.

Najib Allah President Najib Allah replaces Karmal as leader until 1986. 1/1/1986 8:00:00 PM

Karmal's 2nd Exile to Moscow Najib Allah feels opposition as Karmal supporters outnumber him. An uprising resulted, but was quelled and Karmal was exiled against his will to Moscow, again. 1/15/1987 7:00:00 PM

Link

Massacre in Lowgar After the Mujahideen defeated a unit of the invading army along the Logar road, the Soviets responded strongly. Three days later, a Russian armored unit on the way to Logar killed or wounded anyone who happened to be on the road or within range of it from the southern outskirt of the city to the provincial capital, a distance of 86 Kilometers. 10/2/1980 8:00:00 PM

The United States of America

Karmal's Demise Karmal unveils his so-called ten-point thesis to achieve, among other things, conciliation and comprimise. He also showed willingness to incorporate non-PDPA members into the State Council and promote a mixed economy. However, this gift was only extended to those who are in line with the regime. Karmal also wanted Soviets to close the border with Pakistan with an additional 500,000 soldiers. After this idea, the Soviets replaced him with Najib Allah. 11/1/1985 8:00:00 PM

End of Reign

Student Demonstrations Take 2 Excersizing their right to peacefully protest, a great number of students marched. However, when they made it to the city of Barikot, they were surrounded by the army. These soldiers beat and tear gassed the students, arresting 500. 5/3/1980 8:00:00 PM

Soldiers of the Invasion

Afghan Eyes Sharbat Gula was forced to leave her home in Afghanistan during the Soviet war for a refugee camp in Pakistan where she was photographed by journalist Steve McCurry. The image made her famous when it was featured on the June 1985 cover of National Geographic Magazine, at a time when she was approximately 13 years old. Gula was known throughout the world simply as the Afghan Girl until she was formally identified in early 2002.

Russian Commader Razes Afghan City Mujahideen kills 3 Russian soldiers, the commander brother of the fallen captain led his commando unit into the city of Tashqurghan and razed the city, killing at least 200 defenseless civilians. 4/1/1982 7:00:00 PM

Soviets Complete Withdrawal End of the War 1989

Picture 49

Link

NSDD-166: "Expanded U.S. Aid to Afghan Guerrillas" Produced a legal basis for a the escalation of the CIA'a role in Afghanistan, including the mass increase of funding. 3/1/1985 w

William Piekney no longer in Islamabad Milton Bearden replaced William Piekney as CIA station chief in Islamabad. Bearden tipped the balanced from the Soviets back to the CIA-backed rebels. 7/1/1986 w

Bill Casey Diagnosed with a Brain Tumor While at the CIA Headquarters, Casey began to have seizures. A CAT scan showed he had a mass on the left side of his brain, he never recovered. 12/15/1986 w