Afghan Mujahideen

The Mujahideen were a coalition of Islamist Afghan rebels who fought against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. They were Muslims who were supported by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United States; they defeated the Soviets in the Soviet-Afghan War. They were in no way connected with the Taliban, who came later, and if anything the two parties feuded with each other. Likewise, they were not connected to al Qaeda or Osama bin Laden, and in fact, the latter party was given little to no financing or training, utilizing their own channels to conduct training.[1][2]

## Notes and references[edit]

1. ↑ 9/11 Commission Report, The Foundation of the New Terrorism, pg. 56.
2. ↑ In his memoir, Ayman al-Zawahiri contemptuously rejects the claim that the Arab mujahideen were financed (even “one penny”) or trained by the United States. See Zawahiri, “Knights Under the Prophet’s Banner,” Al Sharq al Awsat, Dec. 2, 2001. CIA officials involved in aiding the Afghan resistance regard Bin Ladin and his “Arab Afghans” as having been militarily insignificant in the war and recall having little to do with him. Gary Schroen interview (Mar. 3, 2003).