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NARRATOR:
Afghanistan.
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A war which cost the lives
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of nearly 15,000
young Soviet conscripts
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and an estimated
one million Afghans.
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[speaking Russian ]
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It was the Soviet Union's
Vietnam syndrome,
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so to speak.
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It was impossible
for a great superpower
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to run away
from this wild country.
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The United States supplied
billions of dollars
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of weapons
to unlikely allies --
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Islamic Fundamentalists.
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00:00:48,948 --> 00:00:50,825
It is entirely true that
this was a war
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that was fought
with our gold
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but with their blood.
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P?
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NARRATION:
The Panjshir Valley
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in the Hindu Kush
mountains of Afghanistan --
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a rural, traditionally
Islamic country
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of 15 million people.
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Foreign nations had tried
to conquer it for centuries.
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None succeeded.
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But civil war
and years of Cold War Conflict
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would bring the people
of Afghanistan
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a terrible toll
of death and destruction.
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In the 1970s,
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Afghanistan became
a focus
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for superpower rivalry.
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Close to
the Persian Gulfs oil
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and the Indian Ocean ports,
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it bordered Iran
in the West
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and Pakistan
in the South and East.
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In the North,
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it shared a border
with the Muslims
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of the Soviet Union's
Central Asian republics.
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To Moscow,
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a friendly Afghanistan
was vital.
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Kabul, Afghanistan,
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April 1978.
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A military coup brings
a left-wing regime to power.
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Soviet cameras portray it
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as a romantic popular
revolution.
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Crowds were organized
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to celebrate
the change of power.
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Nut Mohammed Taraki,
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Afghanistan's new leader,
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looked to the Soviet Union
for support.
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Moscow sent hundreds
of Soviet advisers
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to advance socialism.
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[speaking Afghan ]
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The vast majority
of Afghan people had no jobs.
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Afghanistan was
an agricultural country.
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We thought it was best
to introduce land reforms
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and give land
to the landless.
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It would enable them
to work their own land
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and raise their standard
of living.
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NARRATION:
The left-wing regime set about
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reforming Afghanistan
by decree.
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Land was taken
from large owners
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and handed to the peasants
who worked it.
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Women were encouraged
to stop wearing veils
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and were put
into literacy classes
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alongside men.
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[chanting in Afghan]
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In the countryside,
the reforms were seen
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to threaten
ancient customs
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and the authority
of the Islamic priests,
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the mullahs.
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[chanting continues]
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[speaking Afghan ]
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The Communists were
trying to change
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the law of God.
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They wanted to destroy
Islamic traditions --
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to rid Afghanistan
of poverty
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and make everyone equal.
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This is against
the law of Islam.
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God has decided
who is rich and who is poor.
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It can't be changed
by communists.
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It's beyond
imagination.
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NARRATION:
To counter Communists' efforts
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to spread
their new doctrine,
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opponents of the reforms
burnt down schools
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and universities.
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Thousands of Afghans
fled to Pakistan
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to avoid
the revolutionary turmoil.
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Resistance was growing
throughout the country.
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[speaking Russian ]
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Brezhnev
and the Politburo tried
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to talk sense into Kabul.
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We couldn't understand
now they could build socialism
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in just five years.
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We said,
"You can't do that.
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We've been building socialism
for 60 years
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and we're still
not finished."
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But they thought
it was us
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that had got it wrong.
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Naiveté was coming out
of their every orifice.
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It was in their
every word.
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[crowds chanting ]
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NARRATION:
In neighboring Iran,
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crowds joined the call
of the Afghan resistance
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for a jihad,
or holy war,
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against the godless
Communists.
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Other Islamic countries
took up the cry.
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[ Chanting ]
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In Washington,
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National Security Adviser
Zbigniew Brezezinski
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was convinced the left-wing
regime in Afghanistan
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was a major threat.
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Yeah.
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And that will deal first
with Iran,
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then with Afghanistan
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and the regional implications.
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NARRATION:
Brzezinski told President Carter that
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Moscow might use
the Afghan crisis to move south
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and seize the oil
of the Persian Gulf.
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BRZEZINSKI:
Well, I have essentially four items
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I'd like to go over with you.
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[ Shouting ]
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Brzezinski' s fears for
the stability of the region
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gained weight when
mass demonstrations in Tehran
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led to the overthrow
of the Shah of Iran.
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The Shah's fall
lost America
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its most important ally
in the region.
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BRZEZINSKI:
We were faced with the possibility
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that one way or another,
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before too long,
we may have
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either a hostile Iran
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on the northern shore
of the Persian Gulf facing us,
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or we might even have
the Soviets there.
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[ Overlapping conversations ]
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NARRATION: The Islamic groups
fighting the Communists
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received covert
American aid
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for the first time
in July 1979.
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President Carter began
by sending
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communications equipment.
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The rebels called themselves
the Mujahedin,
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the Soldiers of God.
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They were mostly peasants
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organized by village mullahs
and landowners.
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Many of their weapons
were captured
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from the Communist regime.
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From the refugee camps
in Pakistan,
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recruits for the jihad
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walked for days
across the mountains
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to reach the fighting.
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Ranged against the Mujahedin
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was a mechanized,
Soviet-trained Afghan army.
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Soviet film depicted
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a highly motivated
fighting force.
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In fact, each month,
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thousands of soldiers
deserted.
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Kabul pleaded with Moscow
to send Soviet troops.
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In the Kremlin,
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Soviet leaders
repeatedly met
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to discuss the Afghan crisis.
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After mobs massacred
Soviet advisers
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and their families
in Herat,
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Kabul' s request
for Soviet troops
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moved up the agenda.
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[speaking Russian ]
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The Afghans wanted us
to introduce
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a limited contingent
of Soviet troops
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to guard military bases.
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They just couldn't cope
with the Mujahedin themselves.
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At first they spoke
about a battalion,
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then about a brigade.
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They kept insisting
and pushing for Soviet troops
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but we kept refusing
and refusing and refusing.
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NARRATION: President Taraki
had an apparently devoted
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Prime Minister,
Hafizullah Amin.
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Amin was the regime's
strong man.
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In spite of the unrest
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he was determined to drive on
with the reforms.
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Amin launched
a campaign of terror.
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He had opponents
arrested and shot.
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[speaking Russian ]
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I said to Amin that
his policies were too harsh,
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that they were turning
the Muslim population
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against him.
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Like the land reforms
which did not
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take into account
Afghan traditions.
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But he used to reply
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"Did Stalin make
the revolution
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in white gloves?
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NARRATION:
Afghan President Taraki flew to Moscow
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to discuss with Soviet leader
Leonid Brezhnev
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how to curb
Amin' s excesses.
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They decided to
oust him,
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hoping the Kabul
government
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could get popular support
by slowing the reforms
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and ending the terror.
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Moscow's secret plans
leaked out.
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When President Taraki
returned to Kabul,
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Amin had him
seized and executed.
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Amin realized the Soviets
wanted him out.
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He began to seek
better ties with the West.
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00:11:30,623 --> 00:11:33,297
The KGB even imagined
Amin might be
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a CIA agent.
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00:11:35,928 --> 00:11:37,908
[speaking Russian ]
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Andropov, the head
of the KGB,
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became very concerned
about Amin
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00:11:43,569 --> 00:11:46,209
flirting
with the Americans.
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00:11:46,272 --> 00:11:49,344
Andropov felt that if we didn't
introduce Soviet troops,
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Amin would claim that
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00:11:51,377 --> 00:11:54,017
Moscow hadn't fulfilled
its obligations.
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He would then turn
to the Americans for help
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and they would put
their own troops in.
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00:12:03,456 --> 00:12:06,062
NARRATION:
In Moscow the arguments were mounting
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00:12:06,125 --> 00:12:10,005
in favor of using
an invasion to remove Amin.
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00:12:10,062 --> 00:12:12,440
In the past,
Soviet military action
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00:12:12,498 --> 00:12:14,444
to topple troublesome
foreign leaders
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00:12:14,500 --> 00:12:15,945
had worked
in Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
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00:12:18,237 --> 00:12:20,080
In Europe,
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00:12:20,139 --> 00:12:22,881
the nuclear arms race
was gathering speed.
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00:12:22,942 --> 00:12:24,944
NATO wanted to counter
the Soviet Union's
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00:12:25,010 --> 00:12:28,719
mobile missiles.
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00:12:28,781 --> 00:12:31,762
On December 12, 1979
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00:12:31,817 --> 00:12:33,763
the West announced
it would deploy
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00:12:33,819 --> 00:12:36,732
hundreds of cruise missiles
in response.
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00:12:39,792 --> 00:12:42,932
Moscow now felt it had
little to lose internationally
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00:12:42,995 --> 00:12:45,908
by intervening in Afghanistan
with troops.
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00:12:45,965 --> 00:12:49,242
That evening the Politburo
held an emergency meeting.
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00:12:49,301 --> 00:12:51,303
[speaking Russian ]
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00:12:54,006 --> 00:12:56,384
Our major concern
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00:12:56,442 --> 00:12:59,013
was the security
of the southern borders
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00:12:59,078 --> 00:13:01,490
of the Soviet Union.
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00:13:05,818 --> 00:13:09,129
We also feared the spread
of Islamic fundamentalism
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00:13:09,188 --> 00:13:10,166
into Afghanistan from Iran.
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00:13:13,592 --> 00:13:15,333
[speaking Russian ]
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00:13:15,394 --> 00:13:17,670
I said that military
intervention in Afghanistan
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00:13:17,730 --> 00:13:20,176
would be very difficult
for our army.
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00:13:20,232 --> 00:13:23,907
It would not
necessarily lead to success.
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00:13:23,969 --> 00:13:27,439
One only has to consider
the conditions in Afghanistan,
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00:13:27,506 --> 00:13:28,484
its geography,
its history
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00:13:30,976 --> 00:13:33,923
and especially
the independent nature
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00:13:33,979 --> 00:13:36,550
of the Afghans.
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00:13:36,615 --> 00:13:38,754
[speaking Russian ]
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00:13:38,818 --> 00:13:40,764
We also felt
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00:13:40,820 --> 00:13:43,426
that if we didn't go
into Afghanistan
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00:13:43,489 --> 00:13:46,231
then some
other countries would.
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00:13:48,928 --> 00:13:50,965
The intervention
of these states could
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00:13:51,030 --> 00:13:55,172
destabilize the situation
on the Soviet-Afghan border
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00:13:55,234 --> 00:13:58,238
and in the region
as a whole.
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00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:05,053
NARRATION:
The Politburo took its fateful decision.
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00:14:05,110 --> 00:14:07,556
By December 25, 1979,
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00:14:07,613 --> 00:14:10,253
tens of thousands
of men in tanks and trucks
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00:14:10,316 --> 00:14:13,490
started to trundle
across the border.
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00:14:13,552 --> 00:14:15,691
Moscow hoped they could
complete their mission
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00:14:15,754 --> 00:14:17,995
within weeks.
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00:14:20,893 --> 00:14:23,464
The old royal palace
on the edge of Kabul
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00:14:23,529 --> 00:14:27,102
was Prime Minister Amin' s
favorite residence.
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00:14:27,166 --> 00:14:31,046
KGB special forces
stormed the building.
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00:14:31,103 --> 00:14:34,084
Amin tried to hide,
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00:14:34,139 --> 00:14:36,676
but they shot him dead.
256
00:14:36,742 --> 00:14:39,985
Moscow replaced Amin
with a more manageable leader,
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00:14:40,045 --> 00:14:43,652
Babrak Karmal.
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00:14:43,716 --> 00:14:46,287
Since the Cold War started,
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00:14:46,352 --> 00:14:48,855
the Soviet Union had
never invaded a country
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00:14:48,921 --> 00:14:51,595
beyond the borders
of the Warsaw Pact.
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00:14:51,657 --> 00:14:56,072
Now Soviet forces were
stepping across the line.
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00:14:56,128 --> 00:14:57,971
The implications
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00:14:58,030 --> 00:15:00,169
of the Soviet invasion
of Afghanistan
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00:15:00,232 --> 00:15:03,406
could pose a more serious
threat to the peace
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00:15:03,469 --> 00:15:06,211
since the second World War.
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00:15:06,272 --> 00:15:08,752
The vast majority
of nations on earth
267
00:15:08,807 --> 00:15:11,845
have condemned this latest
Soviet attempt
268
00:15:11,911 --> 00:15:15,916
to extend its colonial
domination of others.
269
00:15:15,981 --> 00:15:18,018
[ Applause ]
270
00:15:18,083 --> 00:15:20,654
CARTER:
I had to put restraints on the Soviet Union.
271
00:15:20,719 --> 00:15:23,598
One of them was to issue
a public statement
272
00:15:23,656 --> 00:15:26,933
that if the Soviets
did invade
273
00:15:26,992 --> 00:15:28,994
either Pakistan or Iran
274
00:15:29,061 --> 00:15:31,837
or Iran
out of Afghanistan,
275
00:15:31,897 --> 00:15:34,275
that I would consider this
a personal threat
276
00:15:34,333 --> 00:15:36,472
to the security
of the United States of America
277
00:15:36,535 --> 00:15:40,677
and I would take whatever
action I desired
278
00:15:40,739 --> 00:15:44,551
or considered appropriate
to respond.
279
00:15:44,610 --> 00:15:46,681
And I let it be known
that this would not exclude
280
00:15:46,745 --> 00:15:48,691
a nuclear reaction.
281
00:15:48,747 --> 00:15:51,387
MAN:
The military intervention of the Soviet Union
282
00:15:51,450 --> 00:15:53,828
cannot be justified.
283
00:15:53,886 --> 00:15:55,797
There can be no question
of any country
284
00:15:55,854 --> 00:15:57,800
other than the Soviet Union
having interfered
285
00:15:57,856 --> 00:16:01,030
in Afghanistan's internal
affairs.
286
00:16:01,093 --> 00:16:03,039
NARRATION:
At the United Nations
287
00:16:03,095 --> 00:16:06,907
the Soviet invasion
was widely condemned.
288
00:16:06,966 --> 00:16:09,105
President Carter
blocked grain deliveries
289
00:16:09,168 --> 00:16:11,114
to the Soviet Union,
290
00:16:11,170 --> 00:16:13,776
launched a boycott of
the Olympic games in Moscow,
291
00:16:13,839 --> 00:16:17,082
and stepped up US spending
on arms.
292
00:16:17,142 --> 00:16:20,180
Détente was over.
293
00:16:25,217 --> 00:16:28,198
US National Security Adviser
Brzezinski
294
00:16:28,253 --> 00:16:30,199
flew to Pakistan
295
00:16:30,255 --> 00:16:32,565
to set about
rallying resistance.
296
00:16:32,624 --> 00:16:34,570
He wanted to arm
the Mujahedin
297
00:16:34,626 --> 00:16:37,436
without revealing
America's role.
298
00:16:37,496 --> 00:16:39,976
On the Afghan border
near the Khyber pass,
299
00:16:40,032 --> 00:16:42,012
he urged
the Soldiers of God
300
00:16:42,067 --> 00:16:44,638
to redouble their efforts.
301
00:16:44,703 --> 00:16:48,549
BRZEZINSKI:
We know of their deep belief in God.
302
00:16:48,607 --> 00:16:50,280
And we are confident
303
00:16:50,342 --> 00:16:52,583
that their struggle
will succeed.
304
00:16:52,644 --> 00:16:56,615
[man speaking Afghan]
305
00:16:56,682 --> 00:16:59,322
That land over there
is yours.
306
00:16:59,385 --> 00:17:01,831
You will go back
to it one day
307
00:17:01,887 --> 00:17:04,094
because your fight
will prevail
308
00:17:04,156 --> 00:17:07,365
and you'll have your homes
and your mosques back again
309
00:17:07,426 --> 00:17:09,428
because your cause is right
310
00:17:09,495 --> 00:17:11,475
and God is on
your side.
311
00:17:11,530 --> 00:17:14,238
[ Applause ]
312
00:17:16,235 --> 00:17:19,978
BRZEZINSKI: The purpose of
coordinating with the Pakistanis
313
00:17:20,039 --> 00:17:21,985
would be to make
the Soviets bleed
314
00:17:22,041 --> 00:17:25,420
for as much and as long
as is possible.
315
00:17:25,477 --> 00:17:29,687
Do we know if any Soviet units
have reached the border?
316
00:17:29,748 --> 00:17:31,728
They're holding back?
- They are holding back.
317
00:17:31,784 --> 00:17:34,765
BRZEZINSKI: We started providing
weapons to the Mujahedin,
318
00:17:34,820 --> 00:17:36,993
from various sources again.
319
00:17:37,056 --> 00:17:40,128
Some, for example,
some Soviet arms
320
00:17:40,192 --> 00:17:43,298
from the Egyptians
and the Chinese.
321
00:17:43,362 --> 00:17:45,706
We even got Soviet arms
322
00:17:45,764 --> 00:17:49,871
from the Czechoslovak
Communist government,
323
00:17:49,935 --> 00:17:52,506
since it was obviously
susceptible
324
00:17:52,571 --> 00:17:54,573
to material incentives,
325
00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:58,383
and at some point we started
buying arms for the Mujahedin
326
00:17:58,444 --> 00:18:00,720
from the Soviet army
in Afghanistan,
327
00:18:00,779 --> 00:18:03,885
because that army was
increasingly corrupt.
328
00:18:05,918 --> 00:18:08,762
NARRATION: Brzezinski sought the
help of General Zia-ul-Haq,
329
00:18:08,821 --> 00:18:12,200
Pakistan's military ruler.
330
00:18:12,257 --> 00:18:14,430
Pakistan always had
a keen interest
331
00:18:14,493 --> 00:18:16,302
in Afghanistan.
332
00:18:16,361 --> 00:18:21,333
Pakistan wanted a friendly
and strongly Islamic neighbor.
333
00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:25,007
The US Congress had
earlier out
334
00:18:25,070 --> 00:18:28,017
US military aid
to Pakistan.
335
00:18:28,073 --> 00:18:31,350
General Zia had a bad
human rights record.
336
00:18:31,410 --> 00:18:34,118
He was developing
a nuclear bomb.
337
00:18:34,179 --> 00:18:37,490
He had failed to curb
drugs trading.
338
00:18:37,549 --> 00:18:42,225
Now, the Americans set aside
their displeasure.
339
00:18:42,287 --> 00:18:44,233
I think we had
a double standard
340
00:18:44,289 --> 00:18:46,462
with respect
to the Pakistanis.
341
00:18:46,525 --> 00:18:49,267
And we knew that there
were big problems with drugs,
342
00:18:49,328 --> 00:18:51,103
and that there were big
problems with nukes
343
00:18:51,163 --> 00:18:54,167
and we were prepared
in various ways,
344
00:18:54,233 --> 00:18:55,974
in any way that
we had to,
345
00:18:56,034 --> 00:18:57,980
to turn Nelson's eye
to those problems,
346
00:18:58,036 --> 00:19:01,540
as long as the Afghan resistance
was being supported
347
00:19:01,607 --> 00:19:03,951
via the government
of Pakistan --
348
00:19:04,009 --> 00:19:05,955
and that's what we did.
349
00:19:06,011 --> 00:19:08,048
NARRATION:
In Afghanistan,
350
00:19:08,113 --> 00:19:10,992
the Red Army guarded cities,
roads, and airports,
351
00:19:11,049 --> 00:19:14,622
leaving the Afghan army
free for combat.
352
00:19:14,686 --> 00:19:17,963
By 1980,
almost 100,000 Soviet troops
353
00:19:18,023 --> 00:19:20,731
would be deployed
around the country.
354
00:19:20,792 --> 00:19:22,772
It was a civil war,
355
00:19:22,828 --> 00:19:24,774
but many of the Soviet
conscripts were told
356
00:19:24,830 --> 00:19:28,107
they were coming to Afghanistan
to confront Americans.
357
00:19:28,167 --> 00:19:30,841
[ Man speaking Russian ]
358
00:19:30,903 --> 00:19:33,383
After we took our first
Afghan prisoners,
359
00:19:33,438 --> 00:19:36,976
we started to realize that
the Americans were hot there.
360
00:19:37,042 --> 00:19:39,420
We said, "Americans?
What Americans?
361
00:19:39,478 --> 00:19:41,082
They're not here."
362
00:19:41,146 --> 00:19:43,490
But the KGB officers said,
"Oh, they're in the rear.
363
00:19:43,549 --> 00:19:45,324
They are advising Mujahedin,
364
00:19:45,384 --> 00:19:47,295
just like we advised
in Cuba.
365
00:19:47,352 --> 00:19:50,060
Maybe they are teaching them
how to fight."
366
00:19:50,122 --> 00:19:52,193
But the more operations
we carried out,
367
00:19:52,257 --> 00:19:56,103
the more we realized that
the Americans were not there.
368
00:20:01,433 --> 00:20:03,106
NARRATION:
Against their wishes,
369
00:20:03,168 --> 00:20:06,172
the Soviets were soon
sucked into combat.
370
00:20:06,238 --> 00:20:09,117
They started with textbook
sweep offensives
371
00:20:09,174 --> 00:20:11,654
devised to defeat NATO
in Europe,
372
00:20:11,710 --> 00:20:15,180
and Chinese troops
on the plains of Manchuria.
373
00:20:15,247 --> 00:20:17,284
In mountainous terrain
374
00:20:17,349 --> 00:20:19,420
against
guerilla fighters,
375
00:20:19,484 --> 00:20:22,658
their approach was
a disaster.
376
00:20:22,721 --> 00:20:24,860
Well, I would say 99%
of all the battles
377
00:20:24,923 --> 00:20:26,630
that we fought
in Afghanistan
378
00:20:26,692 --> 00:20:29,468
were won
by the Soviet side.
379
00:20:29,528 --> 00:20:31,701
But the problem is
that the next morning
380
00:20:31,763 --> 00:20:33,800
we had the same old
situation
381
00:20:33,865 --> 00:20:35,674
as if there was
no battle --
382
00:20:35,734 --> 00:20:37,714
Mujahedin were again
in that village
383
00:20:37,769 --> 00:20:39,715
where they were --
384
00:20:39,771 --> 00:20:42,047
we thought we destroyed them
just the other day.
385
00:20:42,107 --> 00:20:45,350
So it was
an absolutely useless war.
386
00:20:45,410 --> 00:20:49,415
ARCHIVE - RONALD REAGAN:
I, Ronald Reagan, do solemnly swear...
387
00:20:49,481 --> 00:20:51,427
...that I will faithfully
execute the office
388
00:20:51,483 --> 00:20:53,690
of President
of the United States.
389
00:20:53,752 --> 00:20:55,789
...that I will faithfully
execute the office
390
00:20:55,854 --> 00:20:58,892
of President
of the United States.
391
00:20:58,957 --> 00:21:00,868
NARRATION:
A fervent anti-Communist,
392
00:21:00,926 --> 00:21:03,202
Ronald Reagan
won the 1980 election
393
00:21:03,262 --> 00:21:05,401
with an image
of forceful leadership
394
00:21:05,464 --> 00:21:10,777
and a promise to re-build
US military might.
395
00:21:10,836 --> 00:21:13,180
To many Americans,
396
00:21:13,238 --> 00:21:17,311
Carter's foreign policy
had seemed weak.
397
00:21:17,376 --> 00:21:21,552
Reagan stepped up aid
to the Afghan rebels.
398
00:21:32,791 --> 00:21:36,136
The Mujahedin were made up
of numerous factions.
399
00:21:36,194 --> 00:21:39,505
They were split
on tribal and ethnic lines.
400
00:21:45,837 --> 00:21:49,046
When the Mujahedin weren't
fighting the Soviets,
401
00:21:49,107 --> 00:21:51,451
they sometimes fought
each other.
402
00:21:51,510 --> 00:21:55,515
[speaking Afghan ]
403
00:22:03,255 --> 00:22:06,134
The Mujahedin often captured
military equipment
404
00:22:06,191 --> 00:22:07,636
in working order,
405
00:22:07,693 --> 00:22:10,173
but were so disorganized
that within hours
406
00:22:10,228 --> 00:22:13,801
it would be made
useless by looting.
407
00:22:13,865 --> 00:22:19,872
[ Overlapping conversations ]
408
00:22:19,938 --> 00:22:22,214
ANDERSON:
I made the comment that gratitude
409
00:22:22,274 --> 00:22:24,413
in the Afghan dictionary
410
00:22:24,476 --> 00:22:27,082
is gonna be found somewhere
after "gimme" and "gotcha."
411
00:22:27,145 --> 00:22:30,490
[ gunshots ]
412
00:22:33,018 --> 00:22:34,759
On the other hand,
there was a constant
413
00:22:34,820 --> 00:22:37,562
undercurrent
of understanding
414
00:22:37,622 --> 00:22:39,431
that while we were
providing the means
415
00:22:39,491 --> 00:22:41,129
to wage this war,
416
00:22:41,193 --> 00:22:43,139
they were waging it
417
00:22:43,195 --> 00:22:46,870
and that it is entirely true
that this was a war
418
00:22:46,932 --> 00:22:50,243
that was fought with our gold
but with their blood.
419
00:22:52,237 --> 00:22:54,376
NARRATION:
The Reagan administration increased
420
00:22:54,439 --> 00:22:57,909
its covert military supplies
to the Mujahedin.
421
00:22:57,976 --> 00:23:00,820
Money and arms
were channeled
422
00:23:00,879 --> 00:23:03,655
through camps in Pakistan.
423
00:23:13,425 --> 00:23:15,871
By controlling the way
aid was distributed,
424
00:23:15,927 --> 00:23:18,931
the Pakistanis hoped to install
a fundamentalist regime
425
00:23:18,997 --> 00:23:21,443
in Afghanistan.
426
00:23:21,500 --> 00:23:26,245
They favored the extremist
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
427
00:23:26,304 --> 00:23:30,013
ELIE KRAKOWSKI: The Pakistanis
-- they needed to have people
428
00:23:30,075 --> 00:23:32,885
that they could manipulate.
429
00:23:32,944 --> 00:23:35,618
It is for that reason
that American aid,
430
00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:37,455
whatever it was,
431
00:23:37,516 --> 00:23:39,427
and in the early period
it was minimal,
432
00:23:39,484 --> 00:23:41,486
later it became
more significant,
433
00:23:41,553 --> 00:23:43,829
was essentially directed
by the Pakistanis
434
00:23:43,889 --> 00:23:47,928
to Gulbuddin
at the expense of other groups.
435
00:23:47,993 --> 00:23:49,836
[speaking Afghan ]
436
00:23:49,895 --> 00:23:52,205
The arms were not
distributed fairly.
437
00:23:52,264 --> 00:23:54,608
Despite our military
successes,
438
00:23:54,666 --> 00:23:57,442
Pakistan only gave us
eight missiles.
439
00:23:57,502 --> 00:24:00,073
For two years, they out
all aid to my group.
440
00:24:00,138 --> 00:24:02,778
The Pakistanis had
their own agenda.
441
00:24:02,841 --> 00:24:04,718
They gave the lion's share
of weapons
442
00:24:04,776 --> 00:24:08,747
to the hard-liner,
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.
443
00:24:23,528 --> 00:24:25,530
NARRATION:
Inside Afghanistan,
444
00:24:25,597 --> 00:24:29,010
the ferocity
of the civil war increased.
445
00:24:29,067 --> 00:24:32,810
[ Gunfire, explosions]
446
00:24:35,073 --> 00:24:37,019
After heavy casualties,
447
00:24:37,075 --> 00:24:39,112
the Red Army
changed tactics.
448
00:24:39,177 --> 00:24:42,647
They abandoned massive
armored sweeps
449
00:24:42,714 --> 00:24:45,320
and took
to the air.
450
00:24:48,286 --> 00:24:50,232
Soviet commandos would
be dropped in
451
00:24:50,288 --> 00:24:51,892
by helicopters
452
00:24:51,957 --> 00:24:54,563
to out the Mujahedin' s
escape routes.
453
00:25:09,307 --> 00:25:12,254
While more weapons poured
into Afghanistan,
454
00:25:12,310 --> 00:25:15,450
the United Nations sought
a diplomatic solution.
455
00:25:15,514 --> 00:25:17,994
Under-Secretary
Diego Cordovez
456
00:25:18,049 --> 00:25:19,722
tried to broker a deal
457
00:25:19,784 --> 00:25:21,821
for the Soviet Union
to withdraw
458
00:25:21,887 --> 00:25:25,664
if military aid to the Mujahedin
was stopped.
459
00:25:28,026 --> 00:25:30,404
His shuttle diplomacy made
little headway
460
00:25:30,462 --> 00:25:34,035
with Afghan President,
Babrak Karmal.
461
00:25:40,705 --> 00:25:43,845
Moscow.
November 1982.
462
00:25:43,909 --> 00:25:46,082
After 18 years in power,
463
00:25:46,144 --> 00:25:48,624
Brezhnev is dead.
464
00:25:52,884 --> 00:25:54,830
The state funeral
was used
465
00:25:54,886 --> 00:25:57,730
for a new Afghan initiative.
466
00:25:57,789 --> 00:25:59,393
After the ceremony,
467
00:25:59,457 --> 00:26:01,801
Yuri Andropov,
the new Soviet President,
468
00:26:01,860 --> 00:26:03,806
told Pakistan's
foreign minister
469
00:26:03,862 --> 00:26:06,775
that he might accept
the United nations plan.
470
00:26:06,831 --> 00:26:10,938
But the Americans didn't
trust Andropov.
471
00:26:11,002 --> 00:26:12,709
We never considered that
the Soviets would
472
00:26:12,771 --> 00:26:14,717
actually back out
of Afghanistan
473
00:26:14,773 --> 00:26:16,719
and negotiate
their way out.
474
00:26:16,775 --> 00:26:19,847
It didn't seem
a credible thing
475
00:26:19,911 --> 00:26:21,584
for them to do
because we didn't think
476
00:26:21,646 --> 00:26:23,751
that they were at all
disposed to do that.
477
00:26:23,815 --> 00:26:26,819
So naturally when we talked
with the Pakistanis,
478
00:26:26,885 --> 00:26:28,796
we pressed them always
479
00:26:28,853 --> 00:26:32,130
to continue the pressure.
480
00:26:34,559 --> 00:26:37,335
ARCHIVE - RONALD REAGAN: The Bible tells
us there will be a time for peace
481
00:26:37,395 --> 00:26:39,466
but so far in this century,
482
00:26:39,531 --> 00:26:41,807
mankind has failed
to find it.
483
00:26:41,866 --> 00:26:43,311
In these times...
484
00:26:43,368 --> 00:26:45,848
NARRATION: The United States
and Pakistan were not ready
485
00:26:45,904 --> 00:26:48,180
for a deal with Moscow.
486
00:26:48,239 --> 00:26:50,185
For Washington,
the UN's peace plan
487
00:26:50,241 --> 00:26:52,084
was a sideshow.
488
00:26:52,143 --> 00:26:53,451
REAGAN:
The peace-loving nations of the world
489
00:26:53,511 --> 00:26:55,422
must condemn aggression.
490
00:26:58,416 --> 00:27:00,191
Throughout Afghanistan,
491
00:27:00,251 --> 00:27:04,495
Soviet aircraft were
now bombing indiscriminately.
492
00:27:12,664 --> 00:27:15,008
They pummeled village
after village
493
00:27:15,066 --> 00:27:17,945
into oblivion.
494
00:27:36,121 --> 00:27:39,364
In a typical attack
on April 8, 1985,
495
00:27:39,424 --> 00:27:41,700
the villages of
Kats and Mindrawar
496
00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:44,331
on the Kabul-Jalalabad highway
were bombed,
497
00:27:44,396 --> 00:27:48,310
then overrun
by Soviet troops.
498
00:27:48,366 --> 00:27:51,006
[woman speaking Afghan ]
499
00:27:51,069 --> 00:27:54,141
INTERPRETER:
The Soviets destroyed the whole village.
500
00:27:54,205 --> 00:27:58,779
It's impossible to count
how many they killed.
501
00:27:58,843 --> 00:28:01,187
The men were dragged out
of their houses
502
00:28:01,246 --> 00:28:04,056
and sent off
to the Afghan army.
503
00:28:04,115 --> 00:28:07,096
Those who refused were
taken aside and gunned down --
504
00:28:07,152 --> 00:28:10,395
butchered.
505
00:28:10,455 --> 00:28:14,198
[man speaking Afghan]
506
00:28:14,259 --> 00:28:18,139
INTERPRETER:
The Russians took 14 of us
507
00:28:18,196 --> 00:28:22,667
and made us stand in a line
near this wall.
508
00:28:22,734 --> 00:28:24,680
Two Russian soldiers
stood in front of us
509
00:28:24,736 --> 00:28:27,478
with machine guns.
510
00:28:27,539 --> 00:28:29,985
We began reciting
the Holy Kalima
511
00:28:30,041 --> 00:28:31,987
from the Holy Koran,
512
00:28:32,043 --> 00:28:34,887
because we knew we were
about to die.
513
00:28:34,946 --> 00:28:37,893
They machine-gunned
every one of us.
514
00:28:37,949 --> 00:28:39,792
I fell.
515
00:28:39,851 --> 00:28:42,024
There was a pile
of bodies,
516
00:28:42,087 --> 00:28:43,930
all on top of me.
517
00:28:43,988 --> 00:28:46,195
The bullets missed me.
518
00:28:46,257 --> 00:28:50,103
The soldiers searched us
and took our money.
519
00:28:50,161 --> 00:28:56,043
They moved me,
but I just pretended to be dead.
520
00:28:56,101 --> 00:28:57,705
[speaking Afghan ]
521
00:28:57,769 --> 00:28:59,373
The rockets were falling
all around us
522
00:28:59,437 --> 00:29:01,917
like leaves
off a tree.
523
00:29:01,973 --> 00:29:04,044
My daughter's head
was smashed open,
524
00:29:04,109 --> 00:29:07,420
Her brains were hanging
from a branch.
525
00:29:07,479 --> 00:29:09,425
I lost everything --
526
00:29:09,481 --> 00:29:11,427
my cousins,
my nephews --
527
00:29:11,483 --> 00:29:13,429
everybody was killed --
528
00:29:13,485 --> 00:29:17,023
my wife,
my four children.
529
00:29:20,892 --> 00:29:23,395
[soldier speaking Russian ]
530
00:29:23,461 --> 00:29:26,738
INTERPRETER: There was no such
thing as a "peaceful population."
531
00:29:26,798 --> 00:29:29,540
They were all
guerrilla fighters.
532
00:29:32,537 --> 00:29:34,744
I remember how we once
rounded up
533
00:29:34,806 --> 00:29:37,082
all the women
and children,
534
00:29:37,142 --> 00:29:39,088
poured kerosene
over them
535
00:29:39,144 --> 00:29:41,283
and set fire
to them.
536
00:29:41,346 --> 00:29:43,724
Yes, it was cruel.
537
00:29:43,782 --> 00:29:45,853
Yes, we did it,
538
00:29:45,917 --> 00:29:48,056
but those kids were
torturing our wounded soldiers
539
00:29:48,119 --> 00:29:50,121
with knives.
540
00:29:52,524 --> 00:29:54,470
[speaking Russian ]
541
00:29:54,526 --> 00:29:56,472
When you kill,
you don't feel calm.
542
00:29:56,528 --> 00:29:58,474
You just feel indifferent.
543
00:29:58,530 --> 00:30:00,476
You're paranoid.
You lose your morality.
544
00:30:00,532 --> 00:30:02,944
You become very
cold-blooded.
545
00:30:03,001 --> 00:30:04,639
Your soul grows cold
546
00:30:04,702 --> 00:30:06,238
because you're confronted
with something
547
00:30:06,304 --> 00:30:07,282
you don't like doing.
548
00:30:09,374 --> 00:30:12,412
[speaking Russian ]
549
00:30:12,477 --> 00:30:15,651
A young soldier might kill
just to test his gun,
550
00:30:15,713 --> 00:30:18,922
or if he's curious to see
551
00:30:18,983 --> 00:30:21,827
what the inside of a human being
looks like,
552
00:30:21,886 --> 00:30:25,561
or what's inside
a smashed head.
553
00:30:25,623 --> 00:30:29,264
But there is also the fact
that if you don't kill,
554
00:30:29,327 --> 00:30:32,433
you'll get killed.
555
00:30:32,497 --> 00:30:36,707
It's a feeling of being
drunk on blood.
556
00:30:36,768 --> 00:30:39,715
Often you kill
out of boredom
557
00:30:39,771 --> 00:30:42,513
or because you just
feel like doing it.
558
00:30:42,574 --> 00:30:47,319
It's like
hunting rabbits.
559
00:30:50,915 --> 00:30:53,862
[man speaking Afghan]
560
00:30:53,918 --> 00:30:56,262
INTERPRETER:
We have cried so much
561
00:30:56,321 --> 00:30:59,427
that we can no longer cry.
562
00:31:02,493 --> 00:31:05,770
Even if we do cry,
563
00:31:05,830 --> 00:31:08,709
who will wipe away
our tears?
564
00:31:08,766 --> 00:31:13,340
So, you see, there's
nobody to turn to anyway.
565
00:31:13,404 --> 00:31:15,782
We can only pray to God
566
00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:17,717
to take our revenge
for us
567
00:31:17,775 --> 00:31:20,654
because we are
helpless.
568
00:31:40,465 --> 00:31:42,672
NARRATION:
Thousands of civilians were killed
569
00:31:42,734 --> 00:31:44,680
in similar Soviet
atrocities
570
00:31:44,736 --> 00:31:47,376
throughout Afghanistan.
571
00:31:56,080 --> 00:31:59,550
The Mujahedin committed
their own war crimes,
572
00:31:59,617 --> 00:32:02,359
often executing Soviet and
Afghan prisoners
573
00:32:02,420 --> 00:32:04,764
in cold blood.
574
00:32:04,822 --> 00:32:07,200
[gunfire]
575
00:32:37,221 --> 00:32:39,167
NARRATION:
With increasing ruthlessness and daring,
576
00:32:39,223 --> 00:32:41,794
the Mujahedin attacked
Soviet convoys --
577
00:32:41,859 --> 00:32:44,271
the lifeline bringing
oil and weapons
578
00:32:44,329 --> 00:32:46,935
to the Red Army.
579
00:32:51,836 --> 00:32:54,976
[gunfire]
580
00:33:00,979 --> 00:33:03,459
[ explosion ]
581
00:33:03,514 --> 00:33:07,052
[gunfire continues]
582
00:33:35,646 --> 00:33:38,456
NARRATION:
The toll of Soviet dead rose
583
00:33:38,516 --> 00:33:41,656
to as much as 2,000
a year.
584
00:33:44,155 --> 00:33:48,968
♫
585
00:33:52,797 --> 00:33:55,437
Many Soviet conscripts were
raw recruits.
586
00:33:55,500 --> 00:33:58,037
Sent to Afghanistan after
only three months
587
00:33:58,102 --> 00:34:02,312
of basic training.
588
00:34:02,373 --> 00:34:05,320
Sickness, drunkenness
and drug abuse
589
00:34:05,376 --> 00:34:08,220
sapped the army's strength.
590
00:34:08,279 --> 00:34:12,659
The wounded got
minimal care.
591
00:34:12,717 --> 00:34:16,028
The war seemed
pointless.
592
00:34:22,794 --> 00:34:24,671
[ Man speaking Russian ]
593
00:34:24,729 --> 00:34:26,675
You don't know
what you're doing.
594
00:34:26,731 --> 00:34:28,677
You don't know what's
gonna happen tomorrow.
595
00:34:28,733 --> 00:34:31,714
Perhaps you're gonna die
and for the sake of what?
596
00:34:31,769 --> 00:34:34,511
For the sake of a system
that lies to you?
597
00:34:34,572 --> 00:34:36,449
For the sake of a system
that turned my father
598
00:34:36,507 --> 00:34:39,283
and all of our parents
into alcoholics?
599
00:34:39,343 --> 00:34:41,914
You suddenly realized
600
00:34:41,979 --> 00:34:43,925
that you have been
brought up in a system
601
00:34:43,981 --> 00:34:45,927
which only creates evil.
602
00:34:45,983 --> 00:34:47,860
You just want
to escape from it,
603
00:34:47,919 --> 00:34:49,956
but you don't know
where to run.
604
00:34:50,021 --> 00:34:51,898
You have only got
one hope --
605
00:34:51,956 --> 00:34:53,867
to eat half a kilo
of opium,
606
00:34:53,925 --> 00:34:58,067
go to sleep
and never wake up.
607
00:34:58,129 --> 00:35:01,872
[ Narration in Russian ]
608
00:35:30,628 --> 00:35:32,574
NARRATION:
The propaganda was repeated daily
609
00:35:32,630 --> 00:35:35,577
in the Soviet press.
610
00:35:35,633 --> 00:35:38,273
Returning veterans began
to reveal
611
00:35:38,336 --> 00:35:41,078
the Soviet troops
true role.
612
00:35:41,139 --> 00:35:43,745
But Soviet newspaper readers
searched in vain
613
00:35:43,808 --> 00:35:44,650
for accurate reports.
614
00:35:47,712 --> 00:35:49,555
Basically, it was total
disinformation
615
00:35:49,614 --> 00:35:51,924
of the Soviet public.
616
00:35:51,983 --> 00:35:55,487
Soviet soldiers were not
fighting a war.
617
00:35:55,553 --> 00:35:59,330
The propaganda said
they were building schools,
618
00:35:59,390 --> 00:36:01,597
kindergartens, roads,
619
00:36:01,659 --> 00:36:05,471
and guarding caravans
with food.
620
00:36:05,530 --> 00:36:07,703
That's it.
621
00:36:07,765 --> 00:36:10,712
NARRATION:
In cemeteries across the Soviet Union,
622
00:36:10,768 --> 00:36:14,910
the cost of the invasion
became impossible to hide.
623
00:36:14,972 --> 00:36:19,614
Many Russian mothers lost
their only child.
624
00:36:21,846 --> 00:36:23,792
[woman speaking Russian ]
625
00:36:23,848 --> 00:36:25,794
INTERPRETER:
A military officer came to me.
626
00:36:25,850 --> 00:36:28,626
He said,
"Try to be brave.
627
00:36:28,686 --> 00:36:31,997
Your son has died."
628
00:36:36,227 --> 00:36:38,434
I couldn't believe it.
629
00:36:38,496 --> 00:36:40,134
No.
630
00:36:40,198 --> 00:36:42,439
I had only received
a letter from him
631
00:36:42,500 --> 00:36:45,845
the day before.
632
00:36:50,908 --> 00:36:53,684
I didn't try to open
the coffin myself.
633
00:36:53,744 --> 00:36:57,123
My brother wanted to
but we were not allowed.
634
00:37:02,653 --> 00:37:05,532
The funeral was
very quick.
635
00:37:05,590 --> 00:37:07,570
They buried him
636
00:37:07,625 --> 00:37:09,798
and that was it.
637
00:37:12,096 --> 00:37:15,475
It's very hard.
638
00:37:23,674 --> 00:37:26,450
I wasn't allowed to write
on his gravestone
639
00:37:26,510 --> 00:37:28,888
that he'd died
in Afghanistan.
640
00:37:31,983 --> 00:37:34,429
I could only write
in small letters at the bottom
641
00:37:34,485 --> 00:37:36,431
that he'd died
642
00:37:36,487 --> 00:37:40,264
"while fulfilling
his internationalist duty."
643
00:37:40,324 --> 00:37:44,204
I didn't see him dead,
644
00:37:44,262 --> 00:37:47,106
so to me
he's still alive.
645
00:37:47,164 --> 00:37:51,670
At every doorbell I think
my son has come back.
646
00:37:51,736 --> 00:37:55,741
I don't believe
he died.
647
00:38:08,185 --> 00:38:10,131
NARRATION:
In March 1985,
648
00:38:10,187 --> 00:38:12,133
an energetic new leader
649
00:38:12,189 --> 00:38:14,135
took power
in the Kremlin.
650
00:38:14,191 --> 00:38:16,797
As Mikhail Gorbachev met
crowds of Russians
651
00:38:16,861 --> 00:38:18,568
on tours
around the country,
652
00:38:18,629 --> 00:38:20,734
opposition to the war
could finally be
653
00:38:20,798 --> 00:38:23,278
expressed in public.
654
00:38:23,334 --> 00:38:25,041
[speaking Russian ]
655
00:38:25,102 --> 00:38:27,446
NARRATION:
Thousands of protest letters poured in
656
00:38:27,505 --> 00:38:31,009
to Gorbachev' s office
each week.
657
00:38:33,311 --> 00:38:36,258
[speaking Russian ]
658
00:38:36,314 --> 00:38:38,555
We had to finish
this war,
659
00:38:38,616 --> 00:38:40,289
but in such a way
660
00:38:40,351 --> 00:38:41,921
that the Russian people
would understand
661
00:38:41,986 --> 00:38:43,897
why tens of thousands
had died,
662
00:38:43,954 --> 00:38:47,629
and tens of thousands
had become invalids.
663
00:38:47,692 --> 00:38:50,263
We had to explain
what it was all for.
664
00:38:50,328 --> 00:38:52,706
We couldn't just run away
from there in shame.
665
00:38:52,763 --> 00:38:54,367
No.
666
00:38:54,432 --> 00:38:57,436
We needed to find
a process.
667
00:38:57,501 --> 00:38:59,276
[speaking Russian ]
668
00:38:59,337 --> 00:39:01,283
There was an obstacle,
an ideological one.
669
00:39:01,339 --> 00:39:03,785
It was
our Vietnam syndrome.
670
00:39:03,841 --> 00:39:06,219
It was impossible
for a great superpower
671
00:39:06,277 --> 00:39:08,223
to run away
from this wild country,
672
00:39:08,279 --> 00:39:10,555
like the Americans
in Vietnam.
673
00:39:10,614 --> 00:39:13,959
It would damage
our prestige.
674
00:39:14,018 --> 00:39:17,659
NARRATION:
The United Nations envoy, Diego Cordovez,
675
00:39:17,722 --> 00:39:19,702
was told by Gorbachev
676
00:39:19,757 --> 00:39:22,499
that the Soviet Union would
consider withdrawing
677
00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:25,507
under a UN agreement.
678
00:39:25,563 --> 00:39:27,304
The emerging issue was
679
00:39:27,365 --> 00:39:30,073
what kind of government
would run Afghanistan
680
00:39:30,134 --> 00:39:33,081
if the Soviets left.
681
00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:39,614
Hoping the US and Pakistan
would accept
682
00:39:39,677 --> 00:39:42,021
a coalition
friendly to Moscow,
683
00:39:42,079 --> 00:39:44,685
Gorbachev chose
a new Afghan leader,
684
00:39:44,749 --> 00:39:47,320
Mohammad Najibullah.
685
00:39:49,653 --> 00:39:51,564
Gorbachev instructed
Najibullah
686
00:39:51,622 --> 00:39:53,863
to offer talks
with the Mujahedin
687
00:39:53,924 --> 00:39:56,097
about forming an Afghan
government
688
00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:58,436
of national reconciliation.
689
00:40:09,440 --> 00:40:11,351
Gorbachev and his peace
initiatives
690
00:40:11,409 --> 00:40:13,946
were applauded
in Moscow,
691
00:40:14,011 --> 00:40:17,857
but not yet accepted
in Washington.
692
00:40:17,915 --> 00:40:21,658
WEINBERGER:
He was KGB and he was all the old school
693
00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:24,165
and he had some very dubious
associations
694
00:40:24,221 --> 00:40:26,497
and all the rest.
695
00:40:26,557 --> 00:40:28,332
He was trying to persuade
the old line Communists
696
00:40:28,392 --> 00:40:30,065
that he was with them
697
00:40:30,127 --> 00:40:31,868
and he would appoint them
to various positions,
698
00:40:31,929 --> 00:40:34,307
and he would not make
major changes in the economy
699
00:40:34,365 --> 00:40:36,106
or in the economic policies
700
00:40:36,167 --> 00:40:38,238
or in the military policies.
701
00:40:38,302 --> 00:40:41,545
NARRATION: On return from his
first summit with Gorbachev,
702
00:40:41,605 --> 00:40:43,744
Reagan sensed Moscow
wanted a deal
703
00:40:43,808 --> 00:40:46,186
to get out
of Afghanistan.
704
00:40:46,243 --> 00:40:49,122
But American hard-liners
wanted revenge
705
00:40:49,180 --> 00:40:51,091
for Vietnam.
706
00:40:51,148 --> 00:40:52,650
Pressed by Congress,
707
00:40:52,716 --> 00:40:56,493
Reagan urged the Mujahedin
to go for victory.
708
00:40:56,554 --> 00:40:59,967
ANDERSON:
It wasn't until really
709
00:41:00,024 --> 00:41:03,096
between about '83 to '85
710
00:41:03,160 --> 00:41:05,367
that the forces
in Washington,
711
00:41:05,429 --> 00:41:07,102
who asked the question,
712
00:41:07,164 --> 00:41:10,077
"Well, maybe we can
win this."
713
00:41:10,134 --> 00:41:12,512
Let's not put in
714
00:41:12,570 --> 00:41:15,574
$100 million a year
worth of weapons,
715
00:41:15,639 --> 00:41:17,619
let's put in
a billion dollars a year
716
00:41:17,675 --> 00:41:21,817
worth of weapons.
717
00:41:21,879 --> 00:41:24,689
NARRATION:
To combat Soviet air supremacy,
718
00:41:24,748 --> 00:41:27,695
the United States decided to try
out its latest missile,
719
00:41:27,751 --> 00:41:30,459
the Stinger.
720
00:41:33,657 --> 00:41:36,297
Field trials like this
looked impressive
721
00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:40,308
as the shoulder-fired missile
locked onto its target.
722
00:41:40,364 --> 00:41:42,901
By sending state-of-the-art,
American-made Stingers
723
00:41:42,967 --> 00:41:44,913
to the Mujahedin,
724
00:41:44,969 --> 00:41:46,915
Washington was making plain
that America
725
00:41:46,971 --> 00:41:50,214
was directly involved
in the Afghan war.
726
00:42:01,652 --> 00:42:04,326
Spurred on by the increased
American aid,
727
00:42:04,388 --> 00:42:07,995
the Mujahedin opposed
a UN-brokered peace agreement
728
00:42:08,058 --> 00:42:11,198
that would enable
the withdrawal of Soviet troops,
729
00:42:11,262 --> 00:42:15,176
but leave the Kabul regime
in place.
730
00:42:21,572 --> 00:42:24,280
Signed in Geneva,
731
00:42:24,341 --> 00:42:26,844
the 1988 peace agreement
barred
732
00:42:26,911 --> 00:42:29,050
further military aid
to either side
733
00:42:29,113 --> 00:42:31,650
in Afghanistan.
734
00:42:36,220 --> 00:42:39,224
Both superpowers
ignored the ban.
735
00:42:39,290 --> 00:42:43,796
The supply of weapons
went on.
736
00:42:43,861 --> 00:42:48,503
The Geneva accords
did not bring peace.
737
00:42:48,566 --> 00:42:50,603
WEINBERGER:
Our basic feeling was that
738
00:42:50,668 --> 00:42:52,614
what the Russians were
talking about
739
00:42:52,670 --> 00:42:56,641
was a way to get
the resistance
740
00:42:56,707 --> 00:43:00,587
and the opposition
of the West
741
00:43:00,644 --> 00:43:02,590
off their backs,
so to speak,
742
00:43:02,646 --> 00:43:05,252
and that they then
would be free to pursue
743
00:43:05,316 --> 00:43:08,024
other methods
of dominating Afghanistan,
744
00:43:08,085 --> 00:43:09,758
and that's what we did not
want to have happen.
745
00:43:09,820 --> 00:43:11,766
[speaking Russian ]
746
00:43:11,822 --> 00:43:13,768
The Americans
didn't want
747
00:43:13,824 --> 00:43:16,703
a trace of Marxism left.
748
00:43:16,760 --> 00:43:19,434
They wanted to install
an anti-Soviet puppet regime
749
00:43:19,496 --> 00:43:22,477
they could control.
750
00:43:22,533 --> 00:43:26,606
The bleeders
or the hawks finally won.
751
00:43:26,670 --> 00:43:31,210
Our reason was
very simple,
752
00:43:31,275 --> 00:43:33,846
"If you carry on
giving aid,
753
00:43:33,911 --> 00:43:37,120
we'll carry on
giving aid."
754
00:43:37,181 --> 00:43:39,388
NARRATION:
In 1988,
755
00:43:39,450 --> 00:43:41,794
under the terms
of the Geneva agreement,
756
00:43:41,852 --> 00:43:44,765
Soviet troops started
pulling out.
757
00:43:44,822 --> 00:43:46,529
But instead of peace,
758
00:43:46,590 --> 00:43:50,538
Afghanistan was to endure
more years of bloodshed.
759
00:43:54,898 --> 00:43:57,845
Fighting among rival groups
of Islamic fundamentalists
760
00:43:57,901 --> 00:44:00,108
continued to destroy
the country
761
00:44:00,170 --> 00:44:03,413
long after
the Cold War was over.
762
00:44:07,011 --> 00:44:08,957
Since 1979,
763
00:44:09,013 --> 00:44:11,619
five million Afghans
were wounded
764
00:44:11,682 --> 00:44:14,663
or forced to flee
their homes.
765
00:44:19,256 --> 00:44:23,398
Almost 15,000 Soviet soldiers
were killed.
766
00:44:23,460 --> 00:44:27,408
One million Afghans
perished.
767
00:44:31,101 --> 00:44:35,345
ANDERSON:
I haven't had a bad night.
768
00:44:35,406 --> 00:44:37,477
It's not because I am
without feeling for --
769
00:44:37,541 --> 00:44:41,512
or without understanding
of now much agony
770
00:44:41,578 --> 00:44:43,524
goes along with war.
771
00:44:43,580 --> 00:44:46,254
It's just that this was
such a contribution
772
00:44:46,316 --> 00:44:49,593
to the end of what was
otherwise an evil
773
00:44:49,653 --> 00:44:52,793
that inflicted
other kinds of pain
774
00:44:52,856 --> 00:44:54,802
on so many other people
775
00:44:54,858 --> 00:44:57,702
that on balance,
it was worth it.
776
00:44:57,761 --> 00:45:01,208
[speaking Russian ]
777
00:45:01,265 --> 00:45:04,803
The Afghan people have
become the main victims.
778
00:45:04,868 --> 00:45:08,406
The Afghans are now
fighting each other.
779
00:45:08,472 --> 00:45:11,612
Of course they have plenty of
internal reasons for that.
780
00:45:11,675 --> 00:45:13,985
But at the same time,
781
00:45:14,044 --> 00:45:17,025
it's because of a legacy
which started in the 1970s
782
00:45:17,081 --> 00:45:19,027
that they are now
fighting each other
783
00:45:19,083 --> 00:45:23,259
with American and Soviet
weapons.
784
00:45:23,320 --> 00:45:27,325
[chanting in Afghan]
785
00:45:49,139 --> 00:45:53,328
Subtitles ripped and converted by
Juan Claudio Epsteyn
786
00:45:54,000 --> 00:45:58,000
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