Afghanistan and The Cold War
The most obvious effects of the Cold War on Afghanistan are the characteristics of political indifference and incompetence that it has demonstrated throughout.Afghanistan was more than willing to take advantage of the Cold War by using its strategic, geographic and political position to obtain foreign aid whenever it needed. Paper Masters can compose a custom written research paper on Afghanistan and the Cold War that follows your guidelines.
Facts about Afghanistan and the Cold War:
- Afghanistan's involvement lasted 9 years
- Soviet forces withdrew February 15th, 1989
- Geneva Accord of 1988 attempted to resolve differences
The Cold War Blame Game
Unfortunately this also worked to distort Afghanistan's' economy and ultimately created major economic problems for which Griffiths suggests the super-powers and especially the Soviet Union are largely responsible. At the same time, Afghanistan has demonstrated a pattern of blaming other countries for its problems to which many of the accused have responded by coming immediately to its aid.
Afghanistan's problems have come full circle and its tenuous state throughout the Cold War is manifested now in the conflict between the United States and the Al-Q'aida. Again, Afghanistan becomes what could fairly be considered the purposefully placed pawn in the war between the Muslim world and the powerhouse and beacon of capitalism, the United States.
The post Cold-War effects on the Muslim world are especially evident in today's society. It is clear that each country examined has reacted at some point, either during, after or throughout the Cold War, with revolutionary behavior that was largely directed at the super-powers that had taken advantage of them and that symbolized the exploitation of predominantly Muslims nations. More recently, at least one major faction of the Muslim world has demonstrated the most revolutionary and destructive reaction to what it considers symbolic of the scourge of capitalism by attacking the United States through terrorist measures.
The Cold War and the Muslims
Regardless of how Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan have been effected by the Cold War, it is fair to assume that they will forever place the greatest responsibility for any negative effects on the United States solely on the basis that it represents capitalism, a social and political concept that is diametrically opposed to the Muslim ideal.