Who Were the Mujahideen of Afghanistan

In the 1970s, a new group of fighters arose in Afghanistan. They called themselves mujahideen (sometimes spelled mujahidin), a word applied initially to Afghan fighters who opposed the push of the British Raj into Afghanistan in the 19th century. But who were these 20th-century mujahideen? The word mujahideen comes from the same Arabic root as jihad, which means struggle. Thus, a mujahid is someone who struggles or someone who fights. In the context of Afghanistan during the late 20th century, the mujahideen were Islamic warriors defending their country from the Soviet Union, which invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and fought a bloody war there for a decade. Who Were the Mujahideen? Afghanistans mujahideen were exceptionally diverse, including ethnic Pashtuns, Uzbeks, Tajiks, and others. Some were Shia Muslims, sponsored by Iran, while most factions were made up of Sunni Muslims. In addition to the Afghan fighters, Muslims from other countries volunteered to join the mujahideen ranks. Much smaller numbers of Arabs (including Osama bin Laden, 1957–2011), fighters from Chechnya, and others rushed to the aid of Afghanistan. After all, the Soviet Union was officially an atheist nation, inimical to Islam, and the Chechens had their own anti-Soviet grievances. The mujahideen arose out of local militias, led by regional warlords, who independently took up arms all across Afghanistan to fight the Soviet invasion. Coordination among the different mujahideen factions was severely limited by mountainous terrain, linguistic differences, and traditional rivalries among different ethnic groups. As the Soviet occupation dragged on, the Afghan resistance became increasingly united in its opposition. By 1985, the majority of the mujahideen were fighting as part of a broad alliance known as the Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen. This alliance was made up of troops from the armies of seven major warlords, so it was also known as the Seven Party Mujahideen Alliance or the Peshawar Seven. The most famous (and likely most effective) of the mujahideen commanders was Ahmed Shah Massoud (1953–2001), known as the Lion of the Panjshir. His troops fought under the banner of the Jamiat-i-Islami, one of the Peshawar Seven factions led by Burhanuddin Rabbani, who would later become the 10th president of Afghanistan. Massoud was a strategic and tactical genius, and his mujahideen were a crucial part of the Afghan resistance against the Soviet Union during the 1980s. The Soviet-Afghan War For a variety of reasons, foreign governments also supported the mujahideen in the war against the Soviets. The United States had been engaged in detente with the Soviets, but their expansionist move into Afghanistan angered President Jimmy Carter, and the U.S. would go on to supply money and arms to the mujahideen through intermediaries in Pakistan for the duration of the conflict. (The U.S. was still smarting from its loss in the Vietnam War, so the country did not send in any combat troops.) The Peoples Republic of China also supported the mujahideen, as did Saudi Arabia. The Afghan mujahideen deserve the lions share of the credit for their victory over the Red Army. Armed with their knowledge of the mountainous terrain, their tenacity, and their sheer unwillingness to allow a foreign army to overrun Afghanistan, small bands of often ill-equipped mujahideen fought one of the worlds superpowers to a draw. In 1989, the Soviets were forced to withdraw in disgrace, having lost 15,000 troops. For the Soviets, it was a very costly mistake. Some historians cite the expense and discontent over the Afghan War as a major factor in the collapse of the Soviet Union several years later. For Afghanistan, it was also a bittersweet victory; more than 1 million Afghans were killed, and the war threw the country into a state of political chaos that eventually allowed the fundamentalist Taliban to take power in Kabul. Further Reading Feifer, Gregory. The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan. New York: Harper, 2009.Girardet, Ed. Afghanistan: The Soviet War. London: Routledge, 1985Hilali, A.Z. U.S.—Pakistan Relationship: Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. London: Routledge, 2005.

Implementing A Nutrition Education Component On The Double...

Project design: This project seeks to implement a nutrition education component in the Double Up Food Bucks program at the Oakland County Farmer Market The first step in achieving the goal of increasing the purchase and consumption of SNAP beneficiaries in Oakland County is to increase the participation rates of the DUBF program. A good way to accomplish this is through promotion. Promoting the the DUFB program and what is has to offer will increase awareness and educate participants of the benefits they are able to receive when they shop at the farmers market. Starting two months prior to the beginning of the farmers market season, the community dietitian will have developed numerous promotional advertisements . With the help of an assistant, the advertisements will be sent out and displayed at local businesses, community centers, government agencies and libraries within Oakland County. Promotional marketing types will include newsletters, flyers, brochures, and websites. Each adver tisement material will include information about the farmers market, such as day and time of operation and location of market, as well as information on the DUFB program, the SNAP incentives offered, and benefits of participating. Additionally, the marketing material will promote the opportunity of nutrition education and ability to speak with a RD to answer any questions they may have. Newsletters will be sent out local residents homes, especially those in close proximity of the OaklandShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesCoral Graphics Text Font: 10/12 Weidemann-Book Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text. Copyright  © 2011, 2007, 2005, 2002, 1998 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher

A Report on Behavoiural Profiling for Loyalty - MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Write aboutA Report on Behavoiural Profiling for Loyalty. Answer: This paper centralizes on changes in my behavioural patterns as a staff co-ordinator on the recent employee development program conducted in CERA. In my psychometric profiling based on D.I.S.C analysis, results indicate that I exhibit a high degree of dominance; the levels of my ability to influence my peers and perform steadily are moderate while my compliance with the company has been above average. During my orientation to the staff co-ordinating, I was very responsible throughout the recent recruitment process in the Company. I made sure that the trainees took their training seriously while maintaining a friendly demeanour towards them. I have been more of a calm and calculated employee, who tends to think more analytically. I appreciate learning from my mistakes and work persistently. According to the data compiled in Big Five personality test, the resultant data indicates my personality likely to be that of a confident, positive and self-conscious person. Moreover, my staff members speak highly of me and the opinion of core members of HR department suggests that I am an employee full of potential and diligence. Furthermore, my problem-solving capabilities are uniquely satisfying although there are much more skills I can learn and develop in the future while my tenure in this Company. Hence, this paper concludes that the employee development program was successful and has a considerable loyalty and dedication towards this company and its goals.