Why Afghanistan Really Fell Apart

By Bruce P. Cameron
February 10, 2010 (Originally published September 30, 2009)

Much of the U.S. conventional wisdom about how the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 led to the rise of the Taliban and the creation of al-Qaeda safe havens before Sept. 11, 2001, comes from the popular movie, “Charlie Wilson’s War.” But that represents a dangerous misperception.

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