Monday, December 23, 2019

Soviet Veterans Still Grapple With The Soviet-Afghan War

Georgy Nadezhdin / TASS archive.

AFP: 40 years on, veterans still grapple with Soviet-Afghan war

At his home in the mountains north of Kabul, former mujahideen fighter Shah Sulaiman closed his damaged eyes, took a sip of green tea and thought bitterly of Afghanistan's war against the Soviet Union that started four decades ago.

"When we fought against the Soviets, we were expecting a good future," said the 62-year-old father, who was blinded in one eye and suffered a leg wound when he trod on a landmine during the conflict in 1985.

"Unfortunately things turned out for the worst."

This month marks the 40th anniversary of the Soviet Union's "intervention" -- or invasion -- of Afghanistan, the beginning of a decade-long guerilla war that killed up to two million Afghans, forced seven million more from their homes and led to the deaths of more than 14,000 Soviet troops.

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WNU Editor: They have the same issues that U.S. veterans from the Vietnam war must deal with. I have two cousins who served in Afghanistan. They only talk about the war when they are drunk. One of my uncles served as a senior officer in that conflict, and he was stationed in that country for a few years. He understood why the US had to invade Afghanistan in 2001 .... but he never understood why they decided to stay. To him it was a monumental mistake, that would cost untold lives and treasure. Unfortunately, with hindsight, he was right.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

NO

You know what's "unfortunate"?

That we don't learn
That we don't hold warmongers accountable

Where are the lessons learned?
Where are the people punished for this decision?

It cost thousands of lives on "our" side, hundreds of thousands of lives on "their" side.

And the only winners are the likes of arms manufacturers, oil producers and the like.

If we don't hold our own accountable, we are no better than Nazi Germany. We just do it with drones. And under different pretext.

Bob Huntley said...

Agree.

Anonymous said...

The USA has had a string of really awful Presidents since Bush I. Not just the Presidents, the curtains have been pulled back exposing our national security agencies as corrupt, incompetent, petty, political and unable to protect their own secrets.
A whole generation of Americans are growing up knowing the US Govt is not to be trusted. Afghanistan is just one example. The list is endless.

Anonymous said...

"That we don't hold warmongers accountable"

Osama Bin Laden were waging peace?

You are freaking barking mad.

Osama Bin Laden waged war and the Taliban covered for him?

That makes the Taliban peace makers?

Actually it does in Bob Huntley's inverted, perverted world.

The Taliban were waging aggressive war against ethnic Uzbeks and Tajiks. It is why they had the mercenary Arab Battalsion fighting for them at the Northern Front.

Orwell was right in writing 1984. According to invert pervert Bob Huntley Osama Bin Laden is the peacemonger and the US is the warmonger.


Bob Huntley is to WNU blog like the Strategic Peace Culture Foundation is to Zerohedge"

The Strategic Culture Foundation is a Kremlin influence Operation.




Bob Huntley said...

I should add that if you are in, or, totally supportive of the MIC you do not want certain questions to arise in a formal investigation.

If your government, that does appear to be part of that latter group were to truly investigate an extended war such as Afghanistan and arrive at a conclusion that America was wrong and is responsible for unnecessary death and destruction the next is issues would be:

A) how do you make amends/restitution not only to the people of, in this case Afghanistan, but also to your own military people who suffered as a result of that mistaken war and/or their survivors?

B) how are you ever again going to justify getting involved in another make money war for the WIC war once you have shown how careless you are of human lives, both of supposed "enemy" and of your own people?

Bob Huntley said...

Anon


Thank you for mentioning my name.

Anonymous said...

It never goes away.

Anonymous said...

"If your government, that does appear to be part of that latter group were to truly investigate an extended war such as Afghanistan "

Extended war?

- When did the Taliban surrender?
- When did Al Qaeda surrender?
- When did the Pakistani ISI stop aiding the Taliban?
- When did you stop propagandizing?
- When did you (Bob) stop being stuck on stupid?

PS: At least you admit to being paid.



Anonymous said...

I remember 2001.

The Bush Agenda. George Bush met with the Mexican President Vicente Fox several times. He was pushing increased trade to and from Mexico.

GWB speaks Spanish. His sister-in-law is Mexican.

Yet we get from the shit eating Left that Republicans are racists xenophobes in the face of clear evidence that they are not.

Bush was also pushing home ownership rates up. Here is a pro-tip stupid libtards. The only way you can get home ownership rates up is to have everyone including minorities in homes.

The Bush agenda was economic. Then Al Qaeda came and upset the tea party.

PS: And old man Bush was a Sinophile. Again so much for xenophobia.

Anonymous said...

Name calling? Your better than that.

Bob Huntley said...

Anon

Back in the old days, when you were at home in Russia, you know when russia it at war in Afghanistan did you piss and moan about how the US helped them fight the Russians.

Anonymous said...

Bob,

I think you are at home in Russia, because your English grammar sucks.

Bob Huntley said...

Wrong on both counts.

Anonymous said...

Other can judge your sucky grammar as well.

Bob Huntley said...

"other"?????

Anonymous said...

"Others"

It was a typo.

If you can't make head or tails out of a sentence with a one letter typo, then you are not a native speaker.

Bob Huntley said...

Oh I knew what you meant but you obviously missed the intonation in my response. If you are going to post something criticizing me, or, anyone for that matter, you should strive for perfection, or, risk looking idiotic, which you did.

In addition, if all you can refute in a post is some minor error in syntax, grammar or spelling it shows you agreed with the comment posted but are so pissed that someone got you that you have to find something to wag your finger at.

Anonymous said...

I had a word misspelled by 1 character due to a typo. You on the other hand had a sentence mangled beyond repair.

Bob Huntley said...

Once again youmake my point.