DECEMBER 23

On this date in 1979, the Soviet - Afghan War began.  Troops of the USSR began by occupying Kabul, the capitol city of Afghanistan.  Communists had taken control of Afghan government the previous year.  Insurgency groups called the Mujahideen fought a guerrilla war against the Soviets.  The insurgents were armed with weapons some of which were supplied by the United States.  The war lasted ten years and the USSR suffered over 14,000 troops killed and over 53,000 wounded.  It was devastating to their country and military's morale.  Shortly after this defeat the Berlin Was was dismantled. 

Did we learn anything from their debacle?  No, we went in there after 9/11 in our chase for Osama bin Laden and ended up fighting some of the same people we had armed twenty years earlier.  We still have a presence there.  President Trump has been quietly reducing our forces there but we still might have over 10,000 in that country.