Timeline: Afghanistan: John Rees on the history of imperial intervention and resistance

[ChongJoannj546]

hiya komme aus münchen

[AFGwarrior786]

Russia would have invaded regardless just like britain did. They wanted our resources. America needs to learn from their mistakes. Afghans are warriors.

[whedonfreak976]

what is it with the british and invading countries, plundering, and salvaging and raping the land, and people, no wonder america is hated, just look at our past

[daudafg4lif3]

afghanistan=loy afghanistan most bravest country and most bravest people. anyone who invades afghanistan or tries to take over will be defeated forever. long live afghanistan.LOY AFGHANISTAN ZINDABAD

[mohibullahafg]

nice video loy afghans we the best and we have never gotten defeated

[leotakesleo]

A house negro expaling afghan history to afghans??

[LightJehuety]

Excellent video.

[shalilaQu]

Thank you so much! I will share this with everybody I know :)

[nzingamina]

Thank you for the educational video.

[56LC]

Amazing history, you cannot help but to be impressed with the people of Afghanistan. Unfortunally history has not been nice to them by placing them at the heart of the crossroads of imperial power and expansion by others beyond their borders. I hope that this third time around some real improvement finally comes to Afghanistan regardless of the result of the current war.

[playinragz]

Vietnow !! wtg Obama you liar !! Our govt our presidents make me sick. They sit home plot war and send ppl to die FOR NOTHING !!! Thats what makes me sick for fukin nothing

[cultofmao]

This is very good, it is honest and clear, and tells it the way it is Afghanistan is like a Football foreign powers kick around, but it is a game that they can never win. Afghanistan for the Afghans, Yankees and their puppets GO HOME!

[llllGreenFoxllll]

This video helps us see through to the real nature of our governments, corporations, and our media.

[InternetUser1999]

No America called it an invasion because they hated socialism and the Soviet Union so much. Rather than let Afghanistan go socialist they decided to fund and arm the mujihadene even though they were extremist muslims who terrorised the Afghan people with harsh Islamic law.

[basak983]

all 3 coward supper powers have been defeated and its the rest of the worlds turn now.

[TVACdotCA]

Simply one of the finest summaries of political history of Afghanistan for a western audience. Every soldier and citizen needs to see this video! Thanks for posting.

[minstral2]

Well done, and great upload. Consider it blog'd

[Rundstedt1]

There are a few notable additions that should be made in this overly quick synopsis. Among them: the Soviets didn't 'invade' they were invited in; it was therefore an intervention not an invasion, and the U.S. was funding right-wing terrorists even before the communists took over.

[adycousins]

Yeah, like the Russians were "invited" into Hungary and the Nazis were "invited" into Austria.

[Rundstedt1]

(1/4)

No. Because of the US funded right-wing terrorist groups, the existing communist Afghan gov't was continually asking for more and more assistance, the Soviets were actually reluctant to go in at first. And let us not forget that the Soviets were trying to protect the progressive reforms that had been gained under socialist rule.

[Rundstedt1]

(2/4)

Yes they fell into a trap and it did not work, they failed in their attempt to save the country, but consider their thinking at the time; would you have rather them to have just handed the country to the Taliban, or let it devolve into a Civil War sponsored by right-wing elements that wish to continue the old exploitation with the help of the western capitalists, or try and save the first real reforms that the country had seen in centuries?

[Rundstedt1]

(3/4)

A San Francisco Chronicle article (Nov 17, 2001) reported. "Kabal was once a cosmopolitan city. (when the communists were in charge) Artists and hippies flocked to the capital. Women studied agriculture, engineering and business at the city's university. Afghan women held government jobs in the 1980s, there were seven female members of parliament. Women drove cars, traveled and went on dates." The CIA and the US fought to end the progress that the communists brought.

[Rundstedt1]

(4/4)

Yes they did pretty much replace the pres., but your analogies are rather poor they are not even really analogous to each other except on the most superficial level. If an analogy is to be made it would be along the lines of the US in Vietnam. The internal reasoning was almost the same, it was done to help protect a state that was already an ally, an ideological compatriot, a domino in the Cold war battle, the difference is; it would have better for the major power to have prevailed here.

[adycousins]

Yeah, it was an invasion...There's always someone who can be found to issue the invite, and some just cause to justify it, but it was an invasion and a denial of the right to self determination {remember Lenin?}

[JimmyeDallas]

Annexation is not the same as foreign military aid. Afghanistan was never intended to become a Soviet state. Would you say that the US drone bombings in Pakistan qualify as annexation?

[ZegatonZ]

@adycousins

and we are so well liked that we were invited by the native, the Mexicans, the central Americans, the Africans, the Vietnamese, the Iraqis etc etc etc

[LightJehuety]

@Rundstedt1 Can i ask who were they funding and why?

[BlackPanther203]

@Rundstedt1 it was an invasion. In global politics there can be no foreign interference in another countries internal affairs such as a civil war. it was considered a state affair not a multilateral issue among foreign powers.

[Rundstedt1]

@BlackPanther

It was not an invasion, the Soviets were asked in by the legitimate Gov't of Afghanistan. It was no more invaded by the Soviets than South Korea was invaded by the by the Americans during the Korean conflict. When one is asked in to assist, it is not an invasion, just as the when French were asked in to the Colonies during the revolution. Anyway, Afghanistan was by far a much more progressive nation and better off under its communist rule, even more than now under American hegemony

[BlackPanther203]

@Rundstedt1 It is a well known norm that in times of internal civil disturbances other foreign powers cannot intervene. Invited or not they violated a rule. Plus they had decided to go there even before the invitation. The Soviet wanted to protect their clan that was occupying Afghan during the Civil War. Thus their intent was otherwise.

[Rundstedt1]

@BlackPanther203

There is no such rule, civil wars are almost always intervened in. Additionally the Soviets were quite reluctant to go into Afghanistan and had to be asked more than once by the Afghan gov't, which incidentally was the legitimate gov't of Afghanistan, not the occupying "clan".

[AMRPK]

Won't happen i'm afraid, this programme exposes the role of imperialism thena s now. This programme would make Stop The War even bigger than it is. This truth runs counter to the "Good War" propaganda so it will not happen.

[aworld2win]

If only this kind of thing were on the main channels, instead of the dross they normally serve up. But it's still good that people on the left, like John Rees, are finding avenues like this for conveying information and insight generally missing in the media.