War in Afghanistan Timeline
1933- 1973: Longest period of stability under King Mohammed Zahir Shah
1973: General Daud seizes power in coup and declared republic
1978: Cold war coup against nation's first president and General Daud overthrown and killed
1979: Soviet Union stepped in to support communist government
Communist coup ran with an "iron fist"
Many people joined the rebellion against communist government
Early 1980s: USA, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia began covert operation to train and arm Mujaheddin rebels to bring down government
1988: War turned in Mujaheddin's favour
1989: Soviet Withdrawal completed
1990: US abandoned Afghanistan and left country to Mujaheddin warlords
Communist president tried to make peace but was overthrown
1996: Taliban arrived and were welcomed by Afghans seeming like bringers of stability
Warlords divided the country and committed violent crimes
Us ignored the turmoil and devastation that followed Taliban take over
2001: 9/11 attacks
Forced US to take notice of the turmoil and they enlisted warlords to remove Taliban oppression
Mujaheddin were the guerrilla forces that outmanoeuvred the soviets
Couldn't distinguish Mujaheddin from compliant citizens so devastated everywhere as everyone was seen as the enemy
Women, children and elderly were emigrated to Pakistan while men stayed to fight
Inter Service intelligence in Pakistan distributed weapons and fighters to Afghanistan
but new conflict began internally within the Mujaheddin
Taliban were those emigrated children who came back to "save their country"
These refugee children were indoctrinated and conditioned to fight against foreign and unfamiliar
Taliban brought an oppressive regime that turned Afghanistan into a totalitarian state
1963: Amir was born into stability
"The Alliance did more damage in Kabul than the Shorawi"- Rahim Khan
Taliban refused to hand over Bin Laden (coordinator of attackss) so the US launched air strikes agianst Afghanistan