Political scientist called the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan “generally calm”
Photo: Sgt. Victor Mancilla / US Marine Corps / Reuters
The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1989 and the withdrawal of American soldiers in 2021 cannot be compared, since the former left the country, having established its economy and infrastructure with their heads held high, while the latter fled from devastation. So says a military expert, political scientist and development director of the Fund for Assistance to Technologies of the 21st Century Ivan Konovalov. The specialist shared his opinion in a conversation with Lenta.ru.
“It was an escape”
The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan was announced in advance, said Konovalov. This was not a surprise for anyone, the expert noted. “The Western press knew that we were leaving. It was not a secret to anyone, it was not spontaneous. They went out pretty quickly, but nevertheless they did not break away, ”he said.
The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1989 was a military operation, that is, a transition along calculated routes. “Naturally, there were agreements, somewhere we had to use force in order for our troops to pass, but in general everything was carried out calmly,” the specialist noted. The same cannot be said about the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, he added.
The American withdrawal was very spontaneous and fast, and was accompanied by nervousness, chaos, riots, deaths, shelling of innocent people, Konovalov said. “In fact, it was an escape,” he concluded.
“The Americans left $80 billion worth of military equipment and weapons in Afghanistan. This is a colossal number. They even left the helicopters. How could it be? So can you imagine the level of flight and how much everyone didn’t care about everything? – said the development director of the Fund for Assistance to Technologies of the 21st Century.
“We left proudly”
Konovalov emphasized that it was impossible to compare the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan with the withdrawal of American soldiers from the country. “We left proudly. And the response was appropriate. We fought valiantly and not only: we built hospitals, factories, roads. That is, they did everything they could to ensure that Afghanistan was not a medieval country, but a developing one. In the West, I must say, they appreciated it quite highly. We proudly perceived the departing guys, well done, they did their duty, ”he said.
The withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan ended on February 15, 1989. The fighting with the US and Pakistani-backed Mujahideen formations lasted more than nine years. During the war, according to various estimates, from 15 to 26 thousand Soviet soldiers died. Another 54,000 servicemen were injured.
On August 15, the Taliban ( terrorist movement, banned in Russia ) announced the establishment of control over the entire territory of Afghanistan. The Taliban also announced the imminent creation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. On August 31, the last American soldier left Kabul, after which the representative of the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that with the departure of the last American soldier, Afghanistan became completely independent.
