1. Soviet-Afghan War

2. Soviet-Afghan War
Afghanistan’s strategic location has made it a historic location of international conflict and intrigue
Underdeveloped country with divided, quarrelsome tribes

3. Soviet-Afghan War
In April 1978 the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan overthrew the government of Mahammed Daoud
Armed resistance to the new Marxist government broke out and the ruling government split into factions
The Soviets were concerned about this instability on their southern border and in Dec 1979 they supported a coup

4. Soviet-Afghan War
Soviet units already in Kabul seized control of key sites and additional units crossed the border into Afghanistan and seized important cities
The Soviets installed Babrak Karmal as president
Babrak Karmal

5. Soviet-Afghan War
The Soviets anticipated a quick collapse of any resistance
Afghanistan had just 15 million people compared to the USSR’s 265 million
Afghan tribes had little unity
The Afghans had only obsolete rifles and equipment left over from World War II
Soviet soldier in Afghanistan

6. Soviet-Afghan War
During the first four years of the war, the Soviets held the major urban areas and launched attacks against the Mujahideen, (the Afghan guerrillas), in remote and often mountainous areas
The resistance grew as more than half of the 80,000 soldiers in the Afghan army deserted or joined the Mujahideen
Many brought their weapons with them

7. Soviet-Afghan War
The Mujahideen used classic guerrilla tactics conducting small-scale attacks and ambushing Soviet and government convoys along the roads
The Mujahideen also benefited from sanctuaries in Pakistan and Iran as bases of support and training
Soviet vehicle passing through the mountains in Afghanistan

8. Soviet-Afghan War
Initially the Soviets employed traditional mechanized tactics including division-sized offensives against Mujahideen sanctuaries
Soon, however, the Soviets realized that the rugged terrain gave the guerrillas numerous advantages
The guerrillas had plenty of places to hide and were not confined to using the roads

9. Soviet-Afghan War
Increasingly the Soviets relied on air-transported infantry and their airmobile tactics came to resemble what the US had done in Vietnam.

10. Soviet-Afghan War
The Mujahideen began receiving weapons from the America through the C.I.A. mines, automatic rifles.
The Soviets responded with rocket attacks into Kabul and other important cities and “scorched earth” tactics designed to starve and terrorize the guerrillas into submission.
The Soviets also used chemicals.
Still the Mujahideen resisted.

11. Soviet-Afghan War
By 1984 the Soviets had to choose between a massive increase in forces or a different strategy
Reluctant to increase their strength beyond 125,000 to 140,000 soldiers, the Soviets instead shifted their strategy from destroying guerrillas to destroying the infrastructure the guerrillas needed for support.

12. Soviet-Afghan War
The Soviets attacked the supply lines from Pakistan, the border areas that provided sanctuary, or sheltered guerrillas.
They destroyed livestock and crops
Attacks on population centers became routine.

13. Soviet-Afghan War
In Feb 1986 the US decided to send high-technology weapons to Afghanistan, including the Stinger air defense missile.
The guerrillas’ success in shooting down Soviet aircraft caused the Soviets to limit helicopter assaults, and in 1987 and 1988 most operations reverted to reliance on tanks.
The first 340 Stinger missiles fired by Afghan guerrillas brought down 269 Soviet aircraft.

14. Soviet-Afghan War
As the mobility of the Soviets was reduced, they were forced to withdraw from the more remote areas and sought to secure the urban areas
This development turned the tide of the battle in favor of the Mujahideen who then began using trucks instead of pack animals and roads instead of trails.
A Soviet soldier in Afghanistan in 1988

15. Soviet-Afghan War
In Nov 1986 Mohammed Najibullah replaced Karmal as president
Najibullah adopted a more Islamic public image in an attempt to sway the Mujahideen and changed the country’s name from the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan to the Republic of Afghanistan in an attempt to appear less Communist.
Militarily the Soviets launched air raids against Mujahideen bases in Pakistan, dropped thousands of mines along supply routes, and stepped up their attacks on villages.

16. Soviet-Afghan War
These last ditch efforts could not change the strategic situation
In early 1988 the Mujahideen estimated that they controlled 80% of the countryside.
Fighting a losing war in Afghanistan and facing economic difficulties at home, the Soviets decided to cut their losses.
In Apr 1988 they signed a peace accord
The last Soviet soldier departed Afghanistan on Feb 15, 1989
Soviet convoys leaving Afghanistan

17. Soviet-Afghan War Legacy of the war
The Najibullah government remained faithful to the Soviets and the Afghanis fought a civil war among themselves until Apr 1992 when Najibullah gave up power
Rival factions clamored for power leaving Afghanistan politically fractured
For the Soviets, the Afghan experience became a defeat akin to the American experience in Vietnam
The Mujahideen, supported by the US during the war, would later become the enemies of the US

18. Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden helped found the Maktab al-Khadamāt (MAK) which recruited and funded Mujahideen to fight the Soviets
In 1988, bin Laden split from the MAK and formed a new group comprised of some of the most militant Mujahideen that would become the al-Qaeda terrorist group
With the US involvement in Desert Storm and its continued presence in Saudi Arabia, home of the Muslim holy sites of Mecca and Medina, Bin Laden became infuriated by the Western influence.

20. Osama Bin Laden
Son of a billionaire construction mogul. He is 6’5”, and lives with the poor. Becomes a legend while fighting the Russians in the Afghanistan war. Is personally insulted by Saudi Arabia when they agree to receive help from the United States after Saddam Hussein had invaded Kuwait. He believed that Holy Lands should be defended by holy men. From there on the United States becomes Osama Bin Laden’s number one enemy.

21. Khalid Sheik Muhammad
Went to America to study Engineering in North Carolina. His father was an Afghani holy man. He partners with Osama Bin Laden in 1998 to bring their men and finances together.
He is captured in March 2003, while detained he gives details to the plot for the
Attacks and confesses that he is the mastermind of 9/11.

22. November 5, 1990 Rabbi Kahane El-Sayid-Nosair
Rabbi Kahane was a radical who believed that all Arabs should be wiped out
From the biblical boarders of Israel. El Sayid Nosair diguised himself as a
Jewish student, and after a speech made by Rabbi Kahane, shot the Rabbi in
The throat, killing him. This event is now considered the first act of Islamic
Terrorism on American soil. Nosair was later found not guilty of killing Kahane
Based on no physical evidence.

23. Ramzi Yousef
A Pakistani terrorist and nephew of K.S.M. who on February 26, 1993, by remote control, blew up a truck parked in the basement parking garage of the World Trade Center. The blast killed 6, but did not topple over the tower. He would later be captured in 1995 and detained in Colorado.

25. Mohammad Atta
He was born and raised in Egypt. Went to school in Hamburg, Germany where he converted to Al-Qaeda. He flew flight 11 into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Atta was named the leader of the 19 high- jackers by Bin Laden.

26. Marwan Al-Shehhi
He was born in the United Arab Emrites. He attended aviation school in Florida with Mohammad Atta. He flew flight 175 into the south tower of the World Trade Center.

27. Ziel Samir Jarrah
He is unique of all the high-jackers because he had a girlfriend and was close to his family. His family was wealthy and he was known as a playboy who liked to dance and have a good time. He became involved with Al-Qaeda while in college. He flew flight 93 into the ground in Shanksville, Pennsylvania after a hostage revolt.

28. Hanni Hanjour
Was hand picked by Osama Bin Laden to replace Ramzi Binalshibh when he could not get a passport. Hanjour flew fight 77 into the lower end of the pentagon.

29. Ramzi Binalshibh
Was one of the original four men named to pilot a plane during the 9/11
Attacks. When he was denied a visa to America. He became the go-between
For Mohammad Atta and Osama Bin Laden. He was captured on September
11,2002.

30. Richard Picciotto
“Then there were the awful sounds and thumps of people that had jumped from the top stories unable to escape the smoke and heat of what was an inescapable death trap”
Led the rescue in the North tower of the World Trade Center. After reaching the
35th floor, decided to evacuate all rescue personnel. They made it to the 6th
Floor when the North Tower collapsed. Remarkably the staircase they were in
Survived. All thirteen men made it out alive.

31. Stanley Praimnath
"I am looking to the direction of the Statue of Liberty," he recalled. "And I am looking at an airplane coming, eyelevel, eye contact, towards me, giant gray airplane. I am still seeing the letter 'U' on its tail, and the plane is bearing down on me. I dropped the phone and I screamed and I dove under my desk. It was the most ear-shattering sound ever. The plane just crashed into the building. The bottom wing sliced right through the office and it stuck in my office door twenty feet from where I am huddled under my desk."
"I am looking to the direction of the Statue of

32. Brian Clark
"Somehow I grabbed him under the arms, or around the neck, pulled him up and over this, and what, as I say later, I learned was a wall," Clark said. "I didn't know what it was at the time. And we fell in a heap on the floor."

33. 3,497 died on 9/11 2,375 civilian at the World Trade Center.
343 NY City Firefighters
23 Law enforcement officers
47 Port Authority Workers
37 Port Authority Police officers.
87 passengers on Flight 11
60 passengers on Flight 175
36 passengers on Flight 93
64 passengers on Flight 77
125 People at the Pentagon.

34. Father Francis Grogan- Flight 175

36. After 9/11
October 7th, 2001 United States attacks the Taliban headquarters in Afghanistan.
December 6th, 2001 The U.S. captures Bin-Laden’s main base in the Tora Bora mountains of Eastern Afghanistan.
November Al Queda claims responsibility for three suicide bombs in Kenya which blew up the Mombasa Paradise resort hotel, popular with Israeli’s killing 15 people and wounding 80.

37. After 9/11
January 24th, Bin-Laden claims responsibility for the failed December 25th bombing of a U.S bound plane. In an audio tape he vows to continue attacks on the U.S.
March 25th Bin-Laden threatens that Al-Qaeda will kill any Americans taken prisoner if K.S.M. is executed by the American judicial system.

38. Bin Laden is Found
May 2nd 2011 Osama Bin Laden was killed in a million dollar compound in the resort of Abbottabad 60 miles north of Pakistan’s capital Islamabad.
On the same day Bin Laden is buried at sea. Islamic practice calls for burial within 24 hours.
It would have been too hard to find a country willing to accept the remains. They also wanted to avoid a pilgrimage site.