[Cicero]

Well, the big difference is that the US has nothing to gain from a permanent presence in Afghanistan, but the Soviet Union did, because the country is next door to them and the next obvious target for expanding their empire. Indeed, the "Great Game" between England and Russia in the nineteenth century was all about controlling Afghanistan and thus controlling India.

Yes, it's regretable that we armed and trained Muslim fanatics to drive the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan, but they made it necessary for us to do so. Now the Soviet Union is no more, and if Russia permits, we will work with them as allies against the Islamists. So, lets stop crying over spilt milk and work together to our mutual advantage.

[prairiebreeze]

Additionally, isn't it reasonable to expect that radical Islamists like OBL would have found weapons and training eventually anyway. I believe we accelerated that process, certainly. But OBL's hatred for the west made weapons acquisition an inevitability.

Prairie

[RusIvan]

Well, the big difference is that the US has nothing to gain from a permanent presence in Afghanistan, but the Soviet Union did, because the country is next door to them and the next obvious target for expanding their empire. ==

That is true. No one is to blame for Afgan war except of Leonid Brezhnev and his Politbereau.

Yes, it's regretable that we armed and trained Muslim fanatics to drive the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan, but they made it necessary for us to do so. ===

They didn't drive Soviet Union out of Afganistan. Remember Soviet army losses about 15000 vs Afgan losses about 1.5 mlns. If that war continued then Afganistan would be eventually depopulated.

Gorbachev was who withrew army. At SAME time he withdrew army from many places in Europe too.
WHo drove Soviet Army out of Germany or Poland? No one except Gorby.

He did right thing so. But it was him not afgan partisans.
AFgan war was stupid war which he inherited from previous leadership. He ended it.