Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a country in central Asia. Its Taliban-led government provided a safe haven for al Qaeda leadership and was thus invaded by the United States and its allies following the September 11th attacks.

Kabul

Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan.

The Soviet Invasion of 1979

In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to provide support for the communist government that was under attack by anti-communist militant groups. When the Soviets withdrew, they left the country without a strong central government, leading to the Afghan civil war.

The Mujahedeen

The mujahedeen or “freedom fighters” was a general term for the rebel militant groups that fought the communist Afghan government and their Soviet backers during the 1980s. The U.S. government supported the mujahedeen with weapons and money.

The Afghan Civil War

Following the fall of Afghanistan’s communist government in the early 1990s, various mujahedeen groups fought each other...