Afghanistan

Recent History

Afghanistan has had a long and turbulent history. Recent history begins in 1973 when Muhammad Daud overthrew King Zahir Shah in a coup. He declared Afghanistan a republic and himself as president. Change came too fast for much of the population and leftist military leaders. There were several coups and changes in power until 1979 when Soviet forces invaded. The Soviets installed their own president. The new government relied heavily on Soviet military forces and was extremely unpopular. A rebellion sprang up and intensified.

During the 1980s, Soviet troops and Afghani government troops fought bitterly against the heavily entrenched Mujaheddeen or guerilla forces. Although the Soviets used modern equipment, the Mujaheddeen was also well armed, had local support and operated more effectively in the familiar barren, mountainous terrain. The Soviets completely withdrew from Afghanistan in February 1989. The war was considered to be a Soviet Vietnam.

The effects of the war on Afghanistan were devastating. Half of the population was displaced inside the country, forced to migrate outside the country, wounded, or killed.

With the school system largely destroyed, industrialization severely restricted, and large irrigation projects badly damaged, the economy of the country was crippled. The Mujaheddeen was not involved in the agreement concerning the Soviet withdrawal and maintained their fight against the Soviet-backed central government with weapons that they continued to receive from the United States via Pakistan. The central government continued to receive weapons from Russia. The civil war continued between the groups of rebels and the central government until 1991 when the Russians and the United States signed an agreement to end military aid to the central (Kabul) government

and to the rebels (Mujaheddeen).

In 1992, the Kabul government fell and different factions of the Mujaheddeen fought for power. The Taliban emerged in 1994 as a band of guerrilla soldiers who identified themselves as religious students. The Taliban eventually gained control of 95% of the country and imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law on the already oppressed Afghani people.

After the Taliban took control, most other countries did not recognized them as

the legitimate government of Afghanistan because of their appalling treatment of their citizens and their harboring of Osama bin Laden.

The Taliban were a militia driven by their own extremely harsh, fundamental interpretation of Sunni Islamic law. Their proclaimed objective was to set up the world’s most pure Islamic state in their homeland, Afghanistan.

The Taliban was widely criticized for their controversial policies. First of all, female employment and education was restricted or banned. Women were required to stay at home. If necessary, women who do leave the house must be accompanied by a male relative and cover themselves with a burqa (an ankle-length veil with a mesh-like opening in front of the eyes). Non-religious music, CDs, TV, and movies were all banned. Multi-colored signs were prohibited. White socks were forbidden (either because they are considered a

sexual lure or because they resemble Afghanistan’s flag). Children could not fly kites, play chess or play with the pigeons since it distracted them from their religious studies. Men had to wear beards or face prison until their whiskers grew back. Paper bags were banned since the paper might have been recycled from old Korans and lower level windows had to

be blacked to prevent males from inadvertently catching women in compromising states. In order to guarantee that men and women observed these rules, the Taliban employed a moral police force, as do the Saudis, to search for violators. Their attempts to eradicate crime brought public executions and amputations. Many Shiite Muslims were killed. The purported brutal treatment of offenders by the moral police led Amnesty International to classify the conduct as a “reign of terror.

Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, a US, Allied, and Northern Alliance military action toppled the Taliban. In late 2001, major leaders from the Afghan opposition groups and diaspora met in Bonn, Germany, and agreed on a plan for the formulation of a new government structure that resulted in the inauguration of Hamid Karzai as Chairman of the Afghan Interim Authority (AIA) on 22 December 2001. The AIA held a nationwide Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) in June 2002, and Karzai was elected President by secret ballot of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (TISA). A new constitution was signed on 16 January 2004 and highlights a strong executive branch, a moderate role for Islam, and basic protections for human rights. Recent Democratic elections in Afghanistan resulted in the election of Karzai and is a major triumph for democracy in the region.