Afghanistan Timeline
"1756 - 1978: The Soviet Union gave $1.26 billion in economic aid and $1.25 billion in military aid to Afghanistan in order to creat a sphere of influence.
1973: King Zahir Shah was deposed by his cousin and Afghanistan was declared a republic.
1978: Marxist sympathizers in Afghanistan's army staged a successful coup.
1979: Afghanistan was invaded by the Soviet Union to bolster the weak communist government.
1980: The U.S. began to organize and finance the Mujahideen rebels against the Soviet forces in Afghanistan. As part of the Mujahideen efforts, Osama bin Laden created Al Qaeda in Afghanistan in 1988.
1989: Afghanistan and the Soviet Union signed a peace agreement, under which the Soviet Union agreed to withdraw its forces. Afghan President Najibullah, a communist, remained in place and continued to confront the Mujahideen.
1992: Kabul and Afghanistan fell to the Mujahideen and President Najibullah sought shelter in the UM compound. A civil war ensued between different factions of the Mujahideen.
1996: The Taliban, promising a return to traditional, Islamic valuses came to power, imposing strict Islamic law, including the revocation women's rights.
1973: King Zahir Shah was deposed by his cousin and Afghanistan was declared a republic.
1978: Marxist sympathizers in Afghanistan's army staged a successful coup.
1979: Afghanistan was invaded by the Soviet Union to bolster the weak communist government.
1980: The U.S. began to organize and finance the Mujahideen rebels against the Soviet forces in Afghanistan. As part of the Mujahideen efforts, Osama bin Laden created Al Qaeda in Afghanistan in 1988.
1989: Afghanistan and the Soviet Union signed a peace agreement, under which the Soviet Union agreed to withdraw its forces. Afghan President Najibullah, a communist, remained in place and continued to confront the Mujahideen.
1992: Kabul and Afghanistan fell to the Mujahideen and President Najibullah sought shelter in the UM compound. A civil war ensued between different factions of the Mujahideen.
1996: The Taliban, promising a return to traditional, Islamic valuses came to power, imposing strict Islamic law, including the revocation women's rights.
1996 - 2001: The Taliban gradually over came
opposition from other factions to control all but a small part of Afghan
territory by 2001.
2001: In March, the Taliban destroyed 1,500 year old Buddha statues in the Bamiyan Valley.
2001: After the attacks of September 11 by Al Qaeda, an ally of the Taliban, American troops invaded Afghanistan and provided military support to Afghan groups opposed to the Taliban, forcing the Taliban out of power. Hamid Karzai was sworn in as the head of an interim administration.
2002: In January NATO troops arrived in Kabul as the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
2002: In July, a Loya Jirga appointed Karzai Interim President.
2004: Interim President Karzai signed the country's new constitution and, later that year, became the elected President of Afghanistan.
2009: In may, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal was appointed by President Obama to lead the U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
2009: In July, Pakistan's military recaptured the Swat Valley from the Taliban.
2009: ON August 20, 2009, Afghanistan held presidential elections. In disputed results, Hamid Karazi defeated Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani. Both Karzai and Ghani and Pashtun. Abdullah is part Tajik part Pashtum, but the Tajik community is his main political base. " (Mr Hershey's Afghanistan Worksheet)
2001: In March, the Taliban destroyed 1,500 year old Buddha statues in the Bamiyan Valley.
2001: After the attacks of September 11 by Al Qaeda, an ally of the Taliban, American troops invaded Afghanistan and provided military support to Afghan groups opposed to the Taliban, forcing the Taliban out of power. Hamid Karzai was sworn in as the head of an interim administration.
2002: In January NATO troops arrived in Kabul as the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
2002: In July, a Loya Jirga appointed Karzai Interim President.
2004: Interim President Karzai signed the country's new constitution and, later that year, became the elected President of Afghanistan.
2009: In may, Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal was appointed by President Obama to lead the U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
2009: In July, Pakistan's military recaptured the Swat Valley from the Taliban.
2009: ON August 20, 2009, Afghanistan held presidential elections. In disputed results, Hamid Karazi defeated Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani. Both Karzai and Ghani and Pashtun. Abdullah is part Tajik part Pashtum, but the Tajik community is his main political base. " (Mr Hershey's Afghanistan Worksheet)
Tanks (T-55 or T-62) of the Turkestan Military District, December 1979
