Afghanistan: the Great Game ( Part I)

, TheGreatGame In this episode Stewart tells the story of, Soviet and United States involvement in, Afghanistan. From 1928 until 1978 there had been relative peace and in the 1960s and 70s was on the hippie trail but the, coldwar was at its height with Afghanistan surrounded by American allies, Iran and, Pakistan. In northern Afghanistan soviet aid was provided and in southern Afghanistan American aid. In, Kabul Islamists and communists vied for supremacy and when the communists took control in 1978 they asked the, SovietUnion for military assistance. Reluctantly they agreed after the Afghan president went to, Moscow in 1979. 80, 000 troops entered Afghanistan and the United States saw a chance for revenge against the Soviets who aided the communists in Vietnam. The, CIA covertly through, GeneralZia, President of Pakistan, provided modern weaponry. ,CharlieWilson and socialite, JoanneHerring were prominent in the raising of 9 billion dollars covertly passed to Afghanistan. In 1988 the Soviets pulled out an