Al Qaeda’s Afghan Birth
Image VIA
Al Qaeda, until IS came along, were the most feared terrorist organisation on the planet (as far as the West was concerned, any way). During the 1980’s, funded by Saudi Arabia and trained by America, al Qaeda was born in Afghanistan.
A CIA program – Operation Cyclone – ensured funds were channeled through Pakistan’s intelligence agency to the Afghan Mujahideen who were fighting the Soviet occupation. The picture above shows CIA trained Afghan Mujahideen fighters in 1985.
Former British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, told the House of Commons that Al Qaeda was unquestionably a product of Western intelligence agencies, created to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan.
Over the years, depending on whether al Qaeda’s aims are in alignment with America’s goals or not, depends on whether they are supported or vilified by the US. Sometimes they’re mates, sometimes they’re enemies, but either way, they were America’s idea, and it was a really, really bad idea.
