After the WWII, US and Soviet emerged as superpowers and both wanted to increase their influence in the world.
While they didn’t engage in any direct, big-scale fighting, they were supporting regional wars by supporting each other’s enemies e.g. Soviet supporting Vietnam in Vietnam war, which led to America’s embarrassing defeat.
Afghanistan had a peculiar location as it had US allies Iran in West, Pakistan in East and Russia in North.
US feared that Russia will invade Afghanistan for oil, while Russia feared that US will use Iran & Pakistan to create instability on its borders.
Russia gave Afghanistan huge financial aid while US helped it build dams.
Because of the aid from and contact with Soviets, there was a section in Afghanistan who believed in communist ideology; this sect was liberal, believed in women education and modernising society.
This ideology was intolerable to the other sect, radical Islamists, and there was evident tension.
In 1978, the communist party came into power and started oppressing opponents; Mujahideen (a group with Islamist orientation) began violent revolts.
The government requested Russia to send troops; it sent 80,000 soldiers and the world was not happy, especially US, who wanted to take revenge (for Vietnam & other proxy wars) and began supplying weapons through Pakistan.
Eventually in 1988-89 (almost 10 years after their arrival), Russia, having failed to take control, withdrew after bloodshed on both sides.
And while Mujahideen fought Russia for 10 years, there had always been an internal rift between two groups, led on one side by Pakistan-supported Hekmatyar and on the other by Massoud.
A civil war broke out after Russia left and more sub-groups emerged; gang wars and civilian killings became a regular affair; at one time there were 6 armies fighting each other.
Pakistan, who wanted a friendly neighbour, disappointed with Hekmatyar’s lack of ability to form government, began supporting a new group Taliban, which emerged in 1994 announcing to liberate Afghanistan from its present corrupt leadership of warlords, and establish a pure Islamic society.
Taliban comes from Talib, student in the Pashto language, which is widely spoken in Afghanistan’s eastern and southern areas, where it was founded by a group of 50, who had received US-funded training & weapons in Pakistan and had fought in Soviet-Afghan war.
In the beginning, Taliban promised to restore peace and security & enforce an austere version of Sharia, the Islamic law.
But as it became powerful, it was accused of human rights and cultural abuse, enforcing strict and harsh rules.
