Description
Object description
American intelligence officer commanded Afghan Task Force, Central Intelligence Agency in United States of America, 1987-1989
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as intelligence officer commanding Afghan Task Force, Central Intelligence Agency in United States of America, 1987-1989: importance of conflict in Afghanistan in exposing the Soviet Union's military weakness; degree of Central Intelligence Agency involvement in Afghanistan pre-1979; question of lack of policy change after death of American ambassador Adolph Dubs in Kabul, Afghanistan, 14/2/1979; effect of Iranian Revolution on American intelligence services; question of Soviet Union's mistake in invading Afghanistan; religious composition in anti-Soviet forces in Afghanistan; question of which groups were provided with aid by United States of America; nature of Pakistan's relations with anti-Soviet forces.
REEL 2 Continues: opinion of Mujahideen and their reluctance to except American instruction; effects of Charlie Wilson's involvement in conflict in changing American policy; questions surrounding the supply of Stinger Missiles to Mujahideen; effects of Soviet use of helicopter gunships, 1985-1986; change in situation on introduction of Stinger Missile; question of effect of Vietnam War on Afghanistan War; nature of American-Pakistani relations; cost of Afghanistan War to Pakistan; background to provision of Stinger Missiles to Mujahideen.
REEL 3 Continues: question of return of Stinger Missiles from Mujahideen after war in Afghanistan and their potential use against American forces since; question of number of fundamentalists involved in the conflict in Afghanistan; background to political divisions in United States of America over continuation of supplies to Mujahideen and negotiations for Soviet withdrawal; question of timing of Soviet withdrawal; details of logistical role of Afghan Task Force and degree to which it was affected by the political issues.
REEL 4 Continues: belief in impossibility of formation of coalition government in Afghanistan; reasons for failure of Soviet campaign in Afghanistan; importance of war in Afghanistan in hastening fall of Soviet Union; nature of conflict in Afghanistan and Soviet regime; personal impact of involvement in warfare.