America and the UK caused suffering in Afghanistan long before 2001

Any honest appraisal of the Afghan War will acknowledge that America and Britain were deeply involved in Afghanistan long before the terrorist attacks of September 2001 against America.

In the late 1970s there was a socialist government in Afghanistan which had good relations with Russia.

The US/UK would not accept this state of affairs and decided to do all they could to bring down this government.

Their means of doing this was to stoke up attacks on the Afghan government by the most extreme Islamist fanatics opposed to it, including pouring in supplies of advanced weaponry.

This started at least six months before the Soviet Army entered the country in 1989.

From this arose the Taliban and al Qaeda.

Obviously the US/UK would never have done this if they had foreseen 9/11 but they did know it would likely bring great suffering to the people of Afghanistan and they did not care.

Brendan O’Brien, London N21

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