Afghanistan, a quiet kingdom in Central Asia that had managed to avoid colonization by Russia to the north and Britain to the south, was thrust into turmoil during the 1970s. The king was overthrown, turning the nation into a republic, and in 1978, communists took control of the country. This communist takeover sparked a reaction from anti-communist forces, particularly religious factions. The country became destabilized, and in 1979, the Soviet Union invaded in an attempt to restore order. This move only served to further radicalize the religious forces, the *mujahideen*, who eventually took control of the country after the communists were expelled.
The fundamentalist Taliban movement soon took power, offering refuge to various terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States viewed the Taliban as a global threat to peace and invaded Afghanistan to topple the Taliban regime and dismantle Al-Qaeda. The U.S. relied on the Northern Alliance, a coalition of Afghan rebels (communists, democrats, and others), and the Taliban regime fell in November 2001 with the capture of Kabul.
The U.S. then established relative calm in Afghanistan for the next 20 years, founding the “Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.” Over time, however, the U.S. gradually reduced its influence and support, and in 2021, Afghanistan once again fell into Taliban hands. Given the familiar nature of the Taliban regime, there is little doubt that we will continue to hear news from Afghanistan in the future.
