[kabar]

Reagan’s genius was giving the Afghanis the means to fight their own war, to protect their own land and people.

An unintended consequence was the formation of a global radical jihadist movement that spawned the Taliban, AQ, and now ISIS.

[Dr. Sivana]

An unintended consequence was the formation of a global radical jihadist movement that spawned the Taliban, AQ, and now ISIS.

That stuff had little to do with the liberation of Afghanistan, and more with other players in the Middle East not directly related to Afghanistan staying with Afghanis. Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc. have a LOT more todo what happened. Afghanistan might well be a stateless playground, but so is Somalia. Pakistan is not exactly Switzerland either. I don't know if we would have had such a free hand to go into Pakistan after Bin Laden with a Soviet/Russian puppet state next door.