How is it the Afghans defeated the Russians in the 1980's

[RoeBear]

but didn't put up as much of a fight when we invaded in 2002?
I'm sure there is a simple answer, I just don't know it.

[ashmanonar]

1. because we're americans, silly!

seriously, i don't know. idk what you mean by "less of a fight"...it's not like the fighting has stopped in afghanistan.

the soviets weren't driven out in one big attack, they were hounded and wounded until they couldn't support their military anymore. i'm assuming the same thing will happen to us.

[ewagner]

2. We haven't

actually won yet.....

the war lords still control much of the country-side...Karhzai and the US pretty much only control Kabul and the immediate vicinity. Khan, Dostum and Hickmetyr still control a lot of territory and have large numbers of troops loyal to them.

[Liberal In Texas]

3. We supplied the Taliban with weapons.

Especially shoulder fired rockets to take down Russian helicopters and other aircraft.

Evantually, the Russian people got sick of their soldiers coming home in body bags.

[0007]

12. We probably gave them satellite intelligence along with the weaponry

The main question is, why was the U.S. willing to help Afghanistan? In the name of brotherhood? I think not! That's one thing the U.S. never tells us, eh?

[RoeBear]

13. I think I have the answer to that one

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend"

[DenverDem]

4. The Taliban was being funded and armed by the CIA.

They were also fighting a decentralized guerilla war against an occupational force not strategically prepared to engage in that sort of combat situation. Similar to why we are unable to "win" in Iraq despite an absurdly overwhelming weaponry and funding advantage.

[theboss]

5. They actually lost pretty badly to the Russians at first

Then Reagan sent them thousands of sidewinder missles when the muhajadeen was based in Pakistan. That meant that the Soviets started losing helicopters in bushles and could no longer control anything outside Kabul.

[Frances]

6. The U.S. was supporting Afghanistan

I think Osama bin Ladin was one of the people we trained. Remember when everyone was talking about "blowback" after 9/11? I think they meant that our training of these anti-Russian fighters had blown back on us.

[dave123williams]

7. There's a huge difference between our laser-guided GBU's and what...

...the Russians were doing with their military in 1980...heat detection, night vision, Apache attack hellicopters, all equiped with cannons that fire 3,000 rounds a minute...sattelite guided GPS JDAM bombs delivered through B-52 strikes; we *mauled* the Afghans.

The difference between us now and the Russians then? We can put one guy, just one guy as a spotter who can, with direct instantaneous approval from the top of the chain of command, call in an unholy hell of bombardment that will put 60% of the airstrike's bombs within 40 feet of the target, from 50,000 feet.

The Afghans were able to respond with horses, and the same guns they had 25 years ago.

[RaleighNCDUer]

8. IIRC, the Russians pretty much had things their way for the first

three years. It took a long time for the Afghans to organize and get the outside funding necessary to stand up to them.

Three years after they went in, the Russians still had 90,000 troops in the field. That made for a lot of targets once the CIA got modern weapons to the mujahadeen. We only have about 15,000, and the troops we have there don't spend a whole lot of time in the field except during major operations, when they're too strong for the opposition. But our bases and camps are still getting rocketted and sniped regularly.

One more difference is that the US puppet government is tolerating the resurgent warlords who control most of the country. Karzai is little more than Mayor of Kabul. The Russians demanded that their puppet government control the warlords, who all ganged up on them in response. Afghanistan is little better than Somalia as a funtioning state.

[Baclava]

9. Nothing has changed. The Afghans are still there.

The Afghan economy and society is based on two pillars: tribal warlordism and the heroin trade. It will never be defeated.

[BuyingThyme]

10. An oil boy with a cool hat does not a country make.

(Wow, we have a lot in common with Afghanistan.)

[Tactical Progressive]

11. It was a Cold War battle in the 1980's - stinger missiles

We gave the Afghan rebels, now anti-American terrorists, military support in the form of shoulder-fired 'Stinger' missiles. That neutralized Russian helicopters and tanks, their main military equipment.

Now, post-Cold War, and unlike Vietnam, nobody is opposing us, so chickenshit cowards like Bush are all tough to go. Republicans are all courage when nobody fights back.