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An article from Janes’ Defense Weekly profiles the recent history of the Western powers in Afghanistan.

The US-led ëproxy warí model was based on the premise that Islamists made good anti-Communist allies. The plan was diabolically simple: to hire, train and control motivated Islamic mercenaries. The trainers were mainly from Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, who learnt their craft from American Green Beret commandos and Navy SEALS in various US training establishments. Mass training of Afghan mujahideen was subsequently conducted by the Pakistan Army under the supervision of the elite Special Services Group (SSG), specialists in covert action behind enemy lines and the ISI.

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Israel provided weapons like rifles, tanks and even artillery pieces, captured during its many wars with the Arab states, while Sudan and Algeria contributed committed mujahideen and religious motivation. The entire operation was, inexplicably but amusingly, christened the Safari Club.

I think the name makes perfect sense, an army, led by princes and other men of lesiure gone to take the trophy of a Soviet officer, the same way the English gentry and nobles would go to Africa to bag a lion in the 19th Century.

Possibly Related posts (machine generated):

1. bin Laden was a thug back in 1980
2. Existentialists Deployed to Afghanistan
3. WWII is my family history.
4. Stand down
5. “[A]meliorate the evils under which the country is laboring”