Introduction continues......

More than forty years of relative peace prevailed until a bitter feud erupted in 1973, among Afghan leaders, to put an end to the monarchy.

In 1978 another coup occurred in Afghanistan—this time with a difference—as outside influences were playing a catalytic role in the domestic conflict and helping it to worsen further. An Afghan protégé of the USSR, Hafizullah Amin, dismissed as many conservatives as he could
find, and formed a Revolutionary Council in Kabul to initiate Marxist programme of ‘scientific socialism’.

This was a prelude to the full-scale conflict of December 1979, as 50,000 Red Army soldiers from the USSR marched into Afghanistan. Moscow immediately installed in Afghanistan their favourite Babrak Karmal as the President. In response, the US entered into the scene and poured in a large amount of aid in order to assist the Afghans opposed to the communist rule in that country.

This aid was channelled through Pakistan during General Zia-ul Haq’s time to the thousands of Mujahideen (holy warriors) who were undergoing
training to fight the Soviets. After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989 and the eventual break up of the Soviet Union in 1991, several efforts were made to agree on an effective governing mechanism, but time and again these efforts failed.

Civil war broke out among the various rival factions and no mechanism on power-sharing agreement could be instituted.

Eventually, the Taleban, a group of radical Islamic students emerged in the Afghan political scene in 1994 and within a stint of two years, established control over ninety percent of Afghan territory.
Much criticised by the international community, for their radical policies, unadulterated and dogmatic adherence to and imposition of the
Sharia, particularly the policies of gender discrimination, the Taleban did not enjoy recognition by the international community except by three
countries viz. Pakistan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The conflict continued between the Taleban and the Northern Alliance who wanted to hold on to the small bit of territory under their control.

To be continued....