Soviet

war between the which he said, "seemed

Soviet Union and at the time a small
Afghanistan, they were beginning."Although
able to involve the U.S. provided aid,

Union VS.
themselves in some its clear to see that it
way. After The Peoples was only their way to
Democratic Party of improve relations with
Afghanistan was Pakistan. So, yes, the

Afghanista established, the

government became
very unstable and
U.S. was somewhat
consistent of their
values of freedom to aid

n
citizens inside the and form alliances, and
country began to to make individual
rebel. Worsening choices to get involved.
rebellions led the The United States
Thursday, 6th April Soviet government, involvement in
By Madyson Mabry under leader Leonid Afghanistan helped
Brezhnev, to send the contain communism
40th Army on slightly because
December 24, 1979. President Carter and his
Once they arrived in administration never
the capital Kabul, they wanted the Soviet
staged a coup, killing Union to invade
president Amin and Afghanistan in fear that
placing Soviet loyalist communism would only
Babrak Karmal. get worse.
Pakistani President
Muhammad Zia-ul- Eyewitness Story
Haq's ties with the U.S. Average
had been tense during Americans watched
Jimmy Carter's these actions take place
presidency due to in the news and on
The Soviet War in Afghanistan, 1979 - 1989 Pakistan's nuclear what they heard on the
program and the television. For an
execution of Zulfikar average family man
Ali Bhutto in April such as John Doe, the
Editorial/Main Story 1979, but President U.S, involvement
During the Cold War, the United Carter informed seemed almost as if it
States sought to defend freedom by National Security were a dangerous idea.
opposing communism and creating Adviser Zbigniew I think our support
free markets. The United States Brzezinski and and help is a very
sometimes succeeded in containing Secretary of State, American thing to do
communism and providing aid in Cyrus Vance, as early he claims, but its
Afghanistan, yet some United States as January 1979, that dangerous. Were
actions undermined the nations values it was necessary to stepping into very
of Afghanistan. In 1979, local tribal "repair our warm waters. Hopefully
groups and Islamic rebels launched relationships with the president will know
attacks against the Afghan Pakistan" in hopes to right from wrong.
government. Groups such as the help the struggle in Of course, any type
mujahideen fought against the Soviet Iran. In May 1979, U.S. of war, inside or outside
Army and the Democratic Republic of officials began to of the country is
Afghanistan. Pakistan helped rebel secretly meet with definitely a scary thing
rebel leaders through
groups and offered them aid and Pakistani government to have to face. Many
refuge during the war. The U.S. offered help. After two Americans were
aid through actions such as Operation meetings on April 6 worried, while some
Cyclone. Operation Cyclone was one of and July 3, President strongly believed that
the longest and most expensive covert Carter signed a the government and
CIA operations ever operated. "presidential finding'" president knew what
Although the U.S. never that "authorized the they were doing to stop
participated in this CIA to spend just over the Soviet Union.
$500,000" on aid to
the mujahideen,
Statistical Analysis

From 1979 - 1989 his Islamic Jihad Mujahideen

are said to have received CIA aid, arms and
training through Operation Cyclone

-Mortality Rates before 1979: max

240.50
-38% of adult literacy rate
-GDP per capita: 249.57 before
Operation Cyclone, After it is 267.66

This information confirms how much

of a third world country Afghanistan is
and was. Not much has changed since
before Operation Cyclone and now,
since Afghanistan seems to be moving
at a much slower rate than most
countries. The statistics prove that
education isnt important and that the
GDP per capita increases very slowly
over time. Afghanistan and the U.S. are
very different when it comes to
statistics. The U.S. is clearly advancing
in many ways such as education, life
span, etc. The difference between
these two countries is that Afghanistan
is a third world country and America is
a first world country by a great amount
of statistical increase.
Work Cited
Westad, Odd Arne. The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the
Making of Our Times:2007
Andropov, Yurii. Reasons to Invade Afghanistan: Memorandum to Soviet
Leader Leonid Brezhnev. December 1979. Cold War Lesson #4: Hot Spots
Research Project, The Regents of The University of California, 2013, p. 14.
Brzezinski, Zbigniew. Memorandum on the Soviet Afghan Intervention to
President Carter. December 1979. Cold War Lesson #4: Hot Spots Research
Project, The Regents of The University of California, 2013, p. 14.
Tamarov, Vladimir. A Soviet Soldier in Afghanistan. Cold War Lesson #4:
Hot Spots Research Project, The Regents of The University of California,
2013, p. 14.