Soviet landmines in afghanistan books

Sep 19, 2019 in the wake of the soviet withdrawal from afghanistan in 1989, international and afghan clearance groups worked hard to clean up those minefields. In gripping detail, he vividly depicts the invasion of a volatile country that no power has ever successfully conquered. While tending his flock in a mountain pasture in anar bagh, a village in kabul province, said kareem meherdel stepped on a landmine. Most of the abuses were at one time attributable to the afghan government and its soviet advisers. Since the withdrawal of the soviet troops in 1989, the intense fighting of the. Playing children are especially at risk of detonating the devices, which have. Playing children are especially at risk of detonating the devices, which have already cost thousands of lives in the country. Without proper equipment and training, the afghanistan government was unable to resist the foreign mercenaries, eventually seeking the aid of the soviet union. India stands third on the list with 45 million antipersonnel landmines. Land mines and their antecedents have been used on the battlefield from ancient. The international committee of the red cross estimated in 1994 that it would take 4,300 years to remove all the soviet land mines in afghanistan.

Soviets leave dangerous legacy behind in afghanistan. Pfm1 was mainly used during the soviet invasion of afghanistan, allegedly resulting in a high number of casualties among children from being mistaken for a toy due to its shape and coloring. One hundred million landmines are found in 64 countries, most of them in developing world with an estimated 10,000,000 landmines in afghanistan. Especially relevant today, thisll learn you good about the nuances of modern warfare and unique challenges the soviets faced in afghanistan.

The soviet war in afghanistan was a grueling debacle that has striking lessons for the twentyfirst century. Feb 09, 2002 to many observers of the afghan conflict, it seems as if the world suddenly discovered afghanistan after 11 september 2001. In late december 1979, the soviet union invaded afghanistan. There are landmines hidden in nearly all of afghanistans provinces. In the last quarter of the 20th century, afghanistan suffered the ruinous effects of civil war greatly exacerbated by a military invasion and occupation by the soviet union 197989.

Landmines in afghanistan afghanistan is among the countries most severely affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance uxo. The peshawar seven insurgents received military training in neighboring pakistan and china, as well as. Most modern antivehicle mines use a magnetic trigger to enable it to detonate even if the tires or tracks. Antipersonnel mines commonly use the pressure of a persons foot as a trigger, but tripwires are also frequently employed. In addition to the new explosive detritus, afghanistan is still grappling with the legacy of mines from the afghan soviet war in the 1980s and the civil war in the 1990s. Tamarov was a member of the soviet unions airborne assault force and served on the front lines in afghanistan as part of a minesweeping team. The main body of the book is about soviet army and air force tactics, operations, and armaments. The mujahideen were backed primarily by the united states.

The soviet union intervened in support of the afghan communist government in its conflict with anticommunist muslim guerrillas during the afghan war 197892 and remained in afghanistan until midfebruary 1989. In 1979, the soviet union decided to try its luck in afghanistan, long a target of russian foreign policy. Sovietera land mines kill 40 each year pulitzer center. Afghanistans campaign to clear millions of landmines left by the soviet invasion and ensuing civil war is in danger of stalling, as international aid slumps and militant violence makes more of the country inaccessible. The most infamous mine used during the soviet unions occupation period was the socalled butterfly mine. For the last decade, afghanistan has been the scene of some of the most serious human rights violations on record. In the context of the cold war, this move initially caused a considerable surprise and excitement in the west, as it was seen as an indirect threat for the situation in the persian gulf, especially after the us lost their most important ally in the area, the shah of iran, which was overthrown in february of the same. When she was in second grade, she stepped on a land mine while.

Passing interest following the soviet invasion in 1979 and the subsequent struggle of the mujahideen against its occupation was soon replaced by war weariness and disinterest. The current narrative of the afghanistan war is a mess. The entry of the soviet union into the country caused an immediate increase in the. From the canadian in charge of the joint military command in kandahar province in afghanistan, this is the real ontheground story of one of natos bloodiest, most decisive and misunderstood operations. The women removing landmines in afghanistan news flash. Pakistan still has 6 million landmines, india third with 4. Afghanistan children devastated by landmines scattered across the. Farah ahmedi was born in kabul, afghanistan near the end of the sovietafghan war. Afghanistan s campaign to clear millions of landmines left by the soviet invasion and ensuing civil war is in danger of stalling, as international aid slumps and militant violence makes more of the country inaccessible. Part of the cold war, it was fought between soviet led afghan forces against multinational insurgent groups called the mujahideen, mostly composed of two alliances the peshawar seven and the tehran eight. Landmine kills 11 pilgrims in southern afghanistan the. Sometimes referred to as the soviets version of the vietnam war, the soviet war in afghanistan ended up being a losing battle for the soviet union, and in many ways, accelerated the dissolution of communism in the east. Come back to afghanistan npr coverage of come back to afghanistan.

Most mines were laid during the soviet occupation of 197988 and during the internal fighting that broke. See more ideas about afghanistan, afghanistan war and war. Landmines take growing toll in afghanistan conflict arab news. Click here for a map of afghanistans most heavily mined areas. About one half of the countrys prewar population are either refugees, internally displaced, or dead. As scores of diplomats seek to navigate a peaceful resolution to the current instability in afghanistan, it is the proper time to reassess the major effort of the conflict. How do we want to be remembered for our efforts there. The ussr entered neighboring afghanistan in 1979, attempting to shore up the newlyestablished prosoviet regime in kabul.

Images capture the effect of years of war on afghanistans. Today, mine clearance teams in afghanistan still find literally dozens of types of landmines, mainly from former soviet union but also from. This is the unique story of gennadynikmamat, a former soviet soldier who was captured by the mujahideen during the soviet war in afghanistan. During the soviet occupation in 1979, landmines were deployed to depopulate provinces of afghanistan, disrupt the agriculture, interrupt transportation, damage economic infrastructure, and to kill innocent civilians. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and afghan assistance fighters, supporter from abroad. Since the early days of the soviet war in afghanistan, forces of the soviet army and the sovietbacked kabul regime have littered the. Soviet war in afghanistan simple english wikipedia, the. Riddled with soviet landmines, afghanistan has become a country of amputees, disabling a majority of an already diseased population. Landmines have been used indiscriminately in afghanistan since the arrival of soviet forces in 1979. Without proper equipment and training, the afghanistan government was unable to resist the opposition,called the mujahedeen, eventually seeking the aid of the soviet union.

Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. State department estimates landmineunexploded ordnancerelated casualties at over 2,400 during the year 2000 and that nearly 948 square kilometers of land had been landmineuxocontaminated. Soviet voices from the afghanistan war by svetlana alexievich, the sovietafghan war. Are there any good books about the sovietafghan war. Primer on russian afghan war, 19791989, lessons learned. Among the legacies of the soviet invasion, and the factional conflicts that followed the defeat of soviet forces, are the hundreds of thousands of land mines that still litter many parts of the countryside. The challenges of sustainable peace in afghanistan. Afghanistan history, map, flag, capital, population. Counterinsurgency in afghanistan and pakistan, 20012011, describes the lessons learned after ten years of war in afghanistan. Land mines had killed 25,000 afghans during the war and another 1015 million land mines, most planted by soviet and government forces, were left scattered throughout the countryside. In 1984 tamarov, then 19, was drafted into the soviet army and posted to afghanistan where he spent 20 months in a minesweeper outfit. Soviet airpower left afghanistan as it had entered conducting operations involving aspects of both punishment and denial.

Organisers of the conference aim to put pressure on the afghan government to sign the 1997 ottawa treaty which bans the use, stockpiling and sale or transfer of landmines. Nearly onethird of the population eventually fled the country, causing severe labor shortages. Mar 02, 2020 modern afghanistan became a pawn in struggles over political ideology and commercial influence. At the end of january, soviet aviation assets began their final departure for home. Mine clearance teams in afghanistan report finding literally dozens of types of landmines, mainly from the ex ussr, but also from belgium, italy, us and the uk. Green parrot, also known as butterfly mine is a land mine of soviet production, very similar to the blu43 us army landmine. A sweeping examination of afghanistans most vulnerable individuals and the myriad of problems that confront them, children of afghanistan not only explores the host of crises that has led the united nations to call the country the worst place on earth to be born, but also offers childcentered solutions to rebuilding the country. The peshawar seven insurgents received military training in neighboring pakistan. The afghan war quickly settled down into a stalemate, with more than 100,000 soviet troops controlling the cities, larger towns, and major garrisons and the mujahideen moving with relative freedom throughout the countryside. The geneva accords signed in april 1988 signalled the end of the soviet military presence in afghanistan, and it was widely assumed that the government led by president najibullah would not survive the withdrawal of soviet forces and that an administration reflecting. Many are left over from the soviet occupation of the country from 1979 to 1989. Despite heavy operational responsibilities and danger, he managed to take artful photographs which capture the stark landscape, friendly and unfriendly afghans and the men of his platoon in action and in repose. Though the ieds used against american soldiers in iraq and afghanistan are. Afghanistan marks the 15th anniversary of the withdrawal of soviet troops from the country on 15 february.

The sovietafghan war was a conflict wherein insurgent groups known collectively as the mujahideen, as well as smaller maoist groups, fought a guerrilla war against the soviet army and the democratic republic of afghanistan government for over nine years, throughout the 1980s, mostly in the afghan countryside. Every month, 40 afghans are killed or injured by sovietera land mines. The soviet war in afghanistan was a war initially fought between the forces of the afghanistan government and foreign mercenaries. Existing explanations of the soviet unions breakdown.

Removing landmines is a priority for the countrys reconstruction. Latest estimates indicate that between one hundred fifty and three hundred people are killed or injured by landmines every month in afghanistan. The three misunderstandings of soviet counterinsurgency in. More broadly, the term also encompasses military activity within afghanistan after 1992but apart from the afghanistan. In this book, freelance journalist kaplan recounts his experiences reporting on the soviet occupation of afghanistan. The women removing landmines in afghanistan november 19, 2019 the province of bamiyan was once on the front line of the sovietafghan war, but itll soon to be declared land mine free. Cassidy, author of the new, critically acclaimed book, war, will, and warlords. Secretly keeping a detailed journal and photographic record of his combat missions in the mountais, tamarov captured the fear, futility, and violence of an insane war. Soviet air confrontations with pakistan air force, during. The soviet invasion of afghanistan, 1979 thoughtco.

Afghanistan unable to clear mines by 2023 daily sabah. The east river range dates to the 1980s, when the soviet army occupied afghanistan. He was presumed a turncoat, which carried a criminal. A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Landmines have been planted indiscriminately over most of the country.

After 20 years of war, afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. Jul 15, 2019 kabul at least 11 pilgrims including seven children were killed on monday when their vehicle set off a landmine in southern afghanistan, local government and health officials said. Many historians believe that in the end, the soviet war in afghanistan was key in destroying one of the cold war worlds two superpowers. Next, we outline the role of the afghanistan war in the breakdown of the soviet union and provide evidence in support of our contention. The country has been torn apart by foreign political and military meddling as well as internal strife ever since. While afghanistan is not comparable in its stockpile, the report adds that it is one of the most heavily mined countries. Its a fascinating and apposite take on the war in afghanistan and one which takes care to get its facts right. At times, his reallife encounterswith soviet helicopters and landmines and occupation mujahidin and soviet groupsread like the latest adventurespy thriller. There are an estimated 100,000 landmines in afghanistan. Millions of landmines dotted across afghanistan are posing a grave worry for pentagon officials plotting movement of special forces across the region. The initial soviet deployment of the 40th army in afghanistan began on december 25, 1979.

Children of afghanistan the path to peace edited by jennifer. The soviet invasion of afghanistan in december 1979 was roundly. As scores of diplomats seek to navigate a peaceful resolution to the current instability in afghanistan, it is the proper time to reassess the major effort of. Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. The furious battle that saved afghanistan from the taliban kindle edition by fraser, david, richards, david.

While the soviets never released official casualty. These landmines are not just from the taliban and alqaeda fighting us and coalition forces. The soviet war in afghanistan, 1979 1989 the atlantic. The afghanistan war and the breakdown of the soviet union. He certainly finds it in gods garden afghanistan, weaving together visual flotsam from several places. Soviet combat tactics in afghanistan had help deciphering the russian general staff papers from gress, a soviet migr who served in the soviet army. The battle of panjwayi, the defining moment of operation medusa. Such a device is typically detonated automatically by way of pressure when a target steps on it or drives over it, although other detonation mechanisms are also sometimes used. The democratic republic of afghanistan dra was formed in 1978 following the saur revolution, which resulted in the.

Operation medusa by major general david fraser, brian. The answer is simple wars are very expensive the afghan soviet war lasted over nine years from december 1979 to february 1989 which led to one of the most bloodiest wars in all of man kind approximately over one million civilians were killed. Twenty years of forty years by daniel schwartz vii in december 2019 it will be forty years since the soviet invasion of afghanistan. Leftover landmines pose additional risk world news the. Book consists of concise after action reports written by soviet soldiers, and commentary from the frunze academy and the military advisortranslators of the book. In the great gamble, gregory feifer examines the conflict from the perspective of the soldiers on the ground. The first official deployment of the soviet army into the kingdom of afghanistan began dec. Kaplan describes how the miscalculated and misguided soviet war of attrition has left the ifootprinti of war on afghanistan to this very day. Afghan war, in the history of afghanistan, the internal conflict that began in 1978 between anticommunist islamic guerrillas and the afghan communist government aided in 197989 by soviet troops, leading to the overthrow of the government in 1992.

The soviet war in afghanistan in pictures, 19791989. Aug 21, 2015 its estimated that there are up to 10 million landmines in afghanistan, many of which are from a war with russia that ended more than 25 years ago but left a cruel legacy which still punished. Afghanistan has suffered greatly from war since 1978, and all sides to the various armed conflicts have used antipersonnel mines, particularly soviet forces and the afghan government from 1979 to 1992. Sovietafghanistan war overview history of war in the. It was only during the last three years of the war, under gorbachevs glasnost policy, that the press began to report more accurately on the afghanistan war. Over the course of 1979, the soviets watched carefully as their client government in kabul lost control of more and more of afghanistan. But after the wars began in the 1970s, trade was interrupted. The need to ban landmines in afghanistan is underlined by reports of new mines being laid during recent fighting around the salang pass, while old mines are being cleared 100 kms to the south in kabul. There are landmines hidden in nearly all of afghanistan s provinces. During the last years of the cold war, the soviet union sent some of its most elite troops to unfamiliar lands in central asia to fight a vaguely defined. In this second part of a twopart interview by government book talk blog editor michele bartram, col. Its full of mines, grenades and other ordnance that should have detonated during training exercises over the years. The soviet war in afghanistan lasted nine years from december 1979 to february 1989.

Russia in afghanistan 1979 to 1989 part 1 of 3 youtube. A land mine can be triggered by a number of things including pressure, movement, sound, magnetism and vibration. Landmines in war and peace and millions of other books are available for. A demining expert demonstrates how to find land mines in a training area near hakim village in central afghanistan, where soviet mines. Apr 29, 2019 powerful images capture the effect years of war has had on afghanistan s children as they pose with rifles, play with spent shells and clamber over tanks. In march, the afghan army battalion in herat defected to the insurgents, and killed 20 soviet advisers in the city. War for afghanistan twenty years of forty years by daniel. Sep 26, 2001 leftover landmines pose additional risk. Soviet invasion of afghanistan, military action carried out in late december 1979 by soviet troops. Afghanistan project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Afghanistan was once one of the few developing nations that was selfsufficient, with its own food supply. Although the scale of current mine use does not approach that during the soviet occupation, the problem in afghanistan carries on growing.

Typhoon constituted a fitting aerial denouement for soviet aviation in afghanistan. Primer on russian afghan war, 19791989, lessons learned dave shunk 26 december 2008 col dave shunk, usaf, ret. As the mine exploded, it often resulted in hand and head trauma, which was frequently lethal. Soviet solutions for afghanistan were postponed, as one general secretary after another weakened and died and the military waited for a healthy general secretary who could make a decision. On december 24, 1979, the soviet union invades afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the sovietafghan friendship treaty of 1978.

The three misunderstandings of soviet counterinsurgency in afghanistan. Jul 17, 2012 old mines bring new casualties in afghanistan hundreds of afghans, mostly children, are killed or injured each year from old mines and unexploded ammunition in unmarked areas. Ending the afghan war wont end the killing history news. Landmines pose an everpresent danger to civilians now attempting to flee the country or areas of. A california teenagers story by said hyder akbar and susan burton. For the soviet union, the intervention proved extraordinarily costly in a number of ways. In short order, nearly 100,000 soviet soldiers took control of major. The new costs of war report reveals that the leading weapons causing such damage have changed over time. Minefields have been laid by both soviet and afghan forces, and mines have been used in all phases of the afghan conflict. Part of the cold war, it was fought between sovietled afghan forces against multinational insurgent groups called the mujahideen, mostly composed of two alliances the peshawar seven and the tehran eight. With the united states and nato set to withdraw all or most forces from afghanistan in 2014, a key question is.