In 1979, the tyrannical regime of the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in hopes of propping up a much reviled communist government in Kabul. The massive offensive prompted fierce opposition amongst the western powers, who soon sent aid to anti-Soviet forces including the Mujahideen, an anti-Soviet group that including noted Islamists like Osama Ben Laden. The Mujahideen was financed by the US beginning with the Carter Administration, but also received support from China, Pakistan and others.

Once the Soviets were finally driven from Afghanistan in 1989, these Islamist forces soon fought amongst themselves. Some eventually became the basis for the Taleban and Al-Qaeda movements. This ironic twist of fate has not gone unnoticed by leftist around the world, though President Carter has been noticeably absent from this debate. Now the Authoritarian Putin, in the lead up to the G8 Summit of Western Leaders (and Russia) has taken it upon himself to take the West to task for creating the Islamist threat.

Putin in yet another move to distract the world and his own subjects citizens from his increasingly authoritarian rule, chose this occasion to revise history. Naturally Putin ignores the fundamental cause of the Islamist movement in Afghanistan, the Soviet invasion in the first place and their attempts to plant Soviet satellites states in South Asia.

If anyone is to blame for the current threat it’s the Soviets, the west, it can be argued were in a no win scenario: oppose communism and allow Islamist to gain a foothold or do nothing and allow another nation to fall to communist tyranny.
Link to Globe and Mail Article