Flashback: "Last Soviet Soldiers Leave Afghanistan"

[Robb]

http://partners.nytimes.com/library/world/africa/021689afghan-laden.html">Last Soviet Soldiers Leave Afghanistan (February 16, 1989)

MOSCOW -- The last Soviet soldier came home from Afghanistan this morning, the Soviet Union announced, leaving behind a war that had become a domestic burden and an international embarrassment for Moscow.

The final Soviet departure came on the day set as a deadline by the Geneva accords last April. It left two heavily armed adversaries, the Kremlin-backed Government of President Najibullah and a fractious but powerful array of Muslim insurgents, backed by the United States and Pakistan, to conclude their civil war on their own....

Don't miss reading this. Take from it what you will, but it's important history.

One more excerpt:

...In the end, Moscow's withdrawal was in effect unilateral.

The Geneva accords introduced United Nations observers to watch the troops depart, but the agreements' other painstakingly negotiated provisions, promising an end to all outside intervention in Afghanistan, were generally ignored.

The Bush Administration has indicated that it plans to continue arming the rebels after the Soviet withdrawal.

[leftstreet]

1. Poppies, Pipelines, Profits, Presence

Of COURSE all agreements would be 'generally ignored'

:-(

[sandnsea]

2. Yeah, "continue arming the rebels"

IE, we beat the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, not the rebels. And then we eventually left them in a bombed out rock pile with all those weapons, and wondered why a Taliban dictatorship took over. :crazy:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. The Russkies knew when it was time to get out. Obama hasn't figured that out..yet.

But, better a lost war than bad PR.

[Robb]

4. Did you even read it?

The Soviets lost 15,000 troops... should we wait for that? :eyes:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Well, it looks like we're headed that way with our glorious escalation.