The Soviet War in Afghanistan had far-reaching effects on the USSR and the USA. Although Mikhail Gorbachev had withdrawn Soviet forces from there in 1989, the country was left in a state of chaos. The mujahideen, a group of Afghan guerrilla fighters, played a significant role in resisting the Soviet occupation.
Nearly twenty-five years ago, the Soviet Union pulled its last troops out of Afghanistan, ending more than nine years of direct involvement. The mujahideen had fought bravely against the well-equipped Soviet forces, using guerrilla tactics and receiving support from countries like the United States and Saudi Arabia.
I was in Afghanistan when mujahideen guerrillas fought Soviet invaders. Three decades later, security remains precarious and peace a distant dream. The legacy of the mujahideen lives on in the ongoing conflicts in the region.
The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, twenty years after their ouster by U.S. troops. Under their harsh rule, many fear a return to the brutal oppression of the past. The mujahideen's struggle for freedom against foreign invaders continues in the face of new threats.
The Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in 2021, two decades after being removed from power by a US-led military coalition. The mujahideen's fight for independence has once again been overshadowed by the return of oppressive forces.
Ahmad Massoud is the leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan. In 1998, when I was 9 years old, my father, a mujahideen fighter, shared stories of bravery and sacrifice. The spirit of resistance against tyranny runs deep in our blood.
The story of 9/11 is in reality the story of the legendary Afghan freedom fighter Ahmad Shah Massoud. His courage and determination inspired a nation to rise up against foreign aggression. The mujahideen's legacy of defiance lives on in the hearts of Afghans.
A few weeks ago, I started reading a new book. It was published last year and became popular in a short amount of time. Abdullah Anas with Tam Hussein, in "To the Mountains: My Life in Jihad from Algeria to Afghanistan," shares a firsthand account of the mujahideen's struggle for freedom.
The image shows a group of anonymous mujahideen fighters standing proudly in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. Their faces are covered, and they are armed with rifles, ready to defend their homeland against any invaders.
