The Consequences of U.S. Intervention in Afghanistan: From 1978 to 1992

Abstract

The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan compelled the United States to intervene in Afghanistan to contain Soviet influence. However, there were several consequences for the interference of both superpowers. While the Soviet Union deployed more than 100,000 troops to Afghanistan, the United States utilised its regional allies to launch a covert operation to aid and train Afghan mujahidin, or holy warriors, in their war against the Soviet Union. This Senior Study poses two questions on the topic: what different foreign policies were employed by the three presidential administrations during the period of 1978-1992 – Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush – and how U.S. support for non-state actors affected their power in the region. The arguments of this Senior Study are that all three presidents supported and continuously increased the aid sent to the mujahidin during the fluctuation of U.S-Soviet relations throughout four Cold War periods that ranged from détente to rollback, and that U.S. support for non-state actors was facilitated with the aid of Pakistan, who favoured radical and conservative groups, which may have led to their evolvement as violent groups and the development of an anti-Western agenda. The hypotheses of this Senior Study examine the methods of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and the outcome of U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan. The findings of this Senior Study prove the negative outcome of U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan given the current state of Afghanistan, the presence of terror groups in the country, and the ongoing conflict in the country, which resulted in the active presence of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. This Senior Study also reflects on the outcomes of the Soviet-Afghan War and compares the current state of Afghanistan to Iraq after the 2003 War, calling it a weak and borderline failed state because of its inability to protect its citizens, secure its sovereignty, and maintain legitimacy with its constituents.