History of Afghanistan of 1989 to 1992

The decision of Soviet to withdraw itself after 10 years of war, was made by Mikhaïl Gorbatchev and became effective the February 15th, 1989, however before leaving, the Russians gave the capacity between the hands of Mohammed Nadjibullah.

In January 1989, John Glassman, the American person in charge with Kabul, announces at the time evacuation of sound Ambassade: “ I will reopen the shop in September ”. On its side, Marin Strmecki of the Center of sociology of the innovation explains: “ There will be a war and a fast victory of the rebels in the areas of the South and the East (...) Then the seat and the catch of the capital. Lastly, the conquest of North. The mode should thus crumble, six months after the departure of the last Soviet soldier ”.

Nadjibullah reorganized the government in internal crisis, he declares the state of emergency after the removal of a minister and replaces all the ministers without parties of the government. The Soviet Union continued to help Afghanistan militarily, economically and by providing emergency aid in food and carburizing due to rigorous winter (in 1989 and 1990) involving losses of harvests.

Most of military equipment pertaining to the Soviet units evacuating Eastern Europe was provided to Afghanistan, with a provisioning ensured, the Afghan Air force, which had developed a tactic reducing the threat of the Stinger missiles to the minimum, now discouraged attacks of mass against the cities.

Missiles with average carried, in particular of the scuds, were successfully launched from Kabul in the defense of Jalalabad, 235 kilometers of distance.

The head office of Jalalabad

The March 6th, 1989, upon the departure of the Soviet army, of the troops of Moslems extremists, at the instigation of the secret services Pakistani, ISI - Inter Service Intelligence - besiege Jalalabad, the third city of the country with an aim of starting the conquest of the capacity by the moudjahidins, by installing in this city the “ Provisional government of Resistance ”, installed until there with Pechawar, to 92 km more in the East, the Pakistan.

Too many sure of themselves - “ Jalalabad will fall in four days” affirms Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the chief of the movement pro-Iranian Hezb-Islami -, and having very important stocks of weapons and ammunition, the moudjahidins launch out against defenses of the city, without preparation, nor coordination, counting on their advantage psycholgic and the defections of the governmental troops. However, defenses of the city hold good and the seat is transformed into an interminable war of position.

The catch of Samarakhel and the airport is greeted by all the Western diplomats like a great success of Resistance, become “ able to carry out a war of face ” and Moudjahidins, renamed on this occasion “ combatants of freedom ”. However, mid-July, in less than one day, the governmental troops succeed in breaking the blockade, inserting the positions of besieging, and taking again Samarakhel and the airport. In spite of a counter-offensive, the moudjahidins had to recognize their failure, and the American special correspondent, Peter Tomsen declares since Pechawar that Resistance is likely to have to deal with “ an erosion of the support of the United States”.

During this period and well after, Soviet supported logistiquement the troops of the president Mohammed Nadjibullah and provided a monthly help from 250 to 300 million US dollars, not included/understood 600 missiles SCUD - with the unit price of a million US dollars.

Consequences of the failure of the seat

With the Pakistan, ISI, the project superintendent of the operation, is destabilized. The Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in constant opposition with the military command, wishes a “ political solution ”, whereas the first concern is stirring up it presence on the Pakistani ground of two million and half of Afghan refugees.

The Afghan president, the Communist Mohammed Nadjibullah, hopes that following this failure, the various movements of Resistance between-will tear, more especially as in the provisional government, there no had been unanimity for this adventure. As of the end July 1989, violent ones confrontations oppose in the north of Afghanistan, of the combatants of the Hezb-Islami (integrist and anti-Westerner) with the Jamiat-Islami (moderate).

In the province of Farkhar, Hezb-Islami, following a ambush, captures, torture and massacre an about sixty men of which best officers of the Commander Massoud, disorganizing his military summer campaign. In spite of the denials of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, theradio ones intercepted, provided the proof that it gave itself the order to set up the fatal ambush. Large the reporters is interested then more closely in the Hezb-Islami and clarifies many businesses of which the murder of several journalists, members of humanitarian associations, commanders of other groups and especially its secret collaboration with the Communist regime of Mohammed Nadjibullah. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar is obliged to resign of its post of Foreign Minister of the Provisional government and gains the interior of Afghanistan.

The American reversal

With the withdrawal of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the Americans lose the ally which he thought most faithful, and which was the principal recipient of their assistance to Afghan resistance. ISI, loses also its favorite, large destroyer of “ inaccurate ”. On their side the investigations continue and update its responsibility in other murders, of which that the commander Abdul Latif and of the doctor Laudin of the royalist movement Mehz-Islami. Released by the Americans, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar qualifies them “ imperialists of which he refuses to be the toy ”.

Following this business the Americans, completely renew their diplomatic and consular personnel with the Pakistan and decide more not to entrust the distribution of its assistance to the Provisional government and ISI, but to deliver it directly to the commanders interior of the country. The the United States, Bill McCallum, republican representative of Florida and chair Comité on terrorism and the nonconventional war, declares that the CIA “ culminated in a programme monstrueusement inefficient of supply and distribution of weapons ” which led to “ abandonment of the destiny of the Afghan people to the military boastings of the intelligence service of Pakistan ”.

The American reversal had immediate consequences while depriving of any capacity, not only the Provisional government, but also the Afghan political parties in conflict with the combatants groups. On the other hand, by putting an end to the chain clientelism, it allowed several commanders interior to set up true armed organizations, to structure, to organize between valleys, tribes and ethnos groups, putting an end to the old structures of being able, characteristic of the Afghan mosaic. Among its new war leaders: Ismaël Khan, ordering area of Hérat, Abdul Haq, ordering area of the south of Kabul and Ahmed Shah Massoud, ordering area of the Panchir, chief of the Board of trustees, true political center of all the north of the country and chief of a true army of 9.000 combatants, the Islamic army, it declares: “ We will carry out, in all North, of Kabul with Mazar-i-Charif, a war of attrition to destabilize the enemy. Our field of intervention, which will be very broad (Kunduz, Faizabad, Bagram, Salang, north of Kabul) will oblige the governmental forces to disperse. There will be no respite and this mobile combat will generate confusion. ”, also affirming “ in one year, there will be one gaining and a loser in the war of Afghanistan ”.

The Americans, in same time, discreetly start negotiations with the Soviets during the summer 1989 with Stockholm, and starts again the idea of a return of the ex-king in exile Mohammed Zaher Chah. Resistance declares: “ the king did not take part in our fight during ten years. He is too late so that he can play some part that it is ”.

End of Mohammed Nadjibullah

Thereafter divisions in its own rows, including the defection of the general Abdul Rashid Dostam fatally weakened the resistance of the government.

In March 1990, its government successfully resisted a coup d'etat of Khald, directed speaks minister about defense Shahnawaz Tanai. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar was one of the principal defender of the coup d'etat.

Nadjibullah had worked with a compromise to finish the civil war with Ahmad Shah Massoud, supported by the United Nations but the discussions turned short and the government fell. In 1992, Nadjibullah agreed to line up in favor of a transitory government. He also announced that a Parliament pluripartite would be established " in a few months, " on the " basis; free elections and démocratiques".

During the month of April 1992, the mode crumbles under the pressure of the rebels, but the reserves of ammunition and considerable weapons that Nadjibullah had preserved were useful during the civil war between Moudjahiddin and Talibans, during the winter 1992 private Kabul of the Soviet assistance (the USSR having disappeared and Nadjibullah having resigned) found without fuel nor food.

Mohammed Nadjibullah had announced the possibility of a resignation as of on March 18th, 1992 in order to allow the installation of a government of interim, on April 16th, 1992 it is put in minority by its own party and is forced to resign following the loss of the air base of Bagram as well as town of Charikar by the rebels of the Jamiat-i Islam.

Random links: