No, it means that I've talked to the Afghanis, and they never recieved US aid, they fought off the Soviet rapists via the Taliban, which is why it is very hard even now to get them to think badly of the Taliban.
Um...our aid to Afghanistan was at least semi-covert, so it's not entirely unlikely that the average Joe Blow in Afghanistan might not
know about it. And it's not like the Taliban had any real incentive to spread the truth on the matter either, considering America is all evil and what not (and they also had the incentive to take all the credit for their victory). And it's not like the average guy fighting for his country against the Russians was going to research the paper trail and find out where the money to buy his weaponry, or the weaponry itself, came from.
I guess it just comes down to who you're more likely to believe on the subject...dozens of reputable news organizations, going back to the early 90's, along with the Defense Technical Information Center (a distributor of the paper, not the author), Jane's, as well as a handful of other miscellaneous sources (again, going back into the 90's)...or some random Afghani villagers.
Personally, given the tendency of totalitarian regimes to use propaganda and tightly control information and official history in order to further their cause, I think you're choosing poorly.
They do not have old Stingers laying around in their caves, we found Soviet RPGs and Recoiless Rifle Rounds.
Just because you did not find them does not mean they do not have them. And it
especially does not mean they
never had them.
I believe you are fast proving yourself to be "too darn lazy" as you put it, to provide a single credible source to support your viewpoint upon the history of a country you have never even been to.
I still fail to see how whether or not I've been to Afghanistan affects whether or not we gave them weapons. Were you in Afghanistan in the 80's? Were you involved in their operations? No? Then all you have direct knowledge of is Afghanistan
today, not its history or of the particulars of their conflict with the Soviets.
I don't pretend to be an expert on Iraqi history simply because I spent some time there and got to know many of the locals. Both my experience in the country is going to be limited, and further
their own knowledge of their own history is going to be limited...again, due to the nature of the regime they lived under.
Heck, with all the talk around here about the selective teaching of
American history in our schools, and the lackluster knowledge of our own history that the average American shows, you're really suggesting that the average person who lived under the Taliban is infallible?
I believe you are fast proving yourself to be "too darn lazy" as you put it, to provide a single credible source to support your viewpoint upon the history of a country you have never even been to.
Why don't you go ahead and set the goalposts, then I'll decide whether or not I'll be able to meet whatever burden of "proof" you're going to require. I have a feeling nothing short of an Afghani holding a Stinger (live, not a picture, which I
can provide) will convince you, so honestly I don't feel like wasting my time. Again, if dozens of reputable news sources going back a couple decades aren't enough for you, then your tinfoil hat is just too thick. I'm sorry, but I can't provide original copies of classified CIA paperwork.
Regardless, I don't even know what your point is. It doesn't matter what weapons they used, or who bought them, the fact that the Afghanis stood up to the Soviets (and
won) is still pretty damn impressive.