Afghanistan ~ Vietnam links??

Okay, here’s some more stuff about U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, during the 1980s ~ from this site here: http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/terrorismdrumbl.htm

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…the war against the Soviets occupies mythic importance in the Afghan mindset. In 1979, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan to prop up a faltering communist regime. Militant Islamic fundamentalists - called the mujahedeen (32) - vigorously fought the Soviets. In the 1980's U.S. had begun to support mujahedeen operations, initially through purchases of Soviet weapons for the mujahedeen. At this point, Osama bin Laden arrived in Afghanistan and actively supported the mujahedeen. The U.S. was aware of his presence.

"[T]he CIA certainly was pleased that a wealthy Saudi had appeared on the scene to help finance the anti-Soviet jihad. In 1986, bin Laden helped build the Khost tunnel complex, for instance, which the CIA was also funding as a major arms depot, training facility and medical center." (33) It was during and as a result of these anti-Soviet activities that bin Laden's network first emerged. In fact, many of these mujahedeen training bases subsequently evolved into bin Laden terrorist training bases. Beginning in 1986, U.S. involvement increased. It also became more direct, taking the form of giving Stinger missiles to these "freedom fighters." Moreover, support for the Afghan "freedom fighters" went beyond the financial and the covert and into the realm of popular culture: Hollywood in fact popularized the mujahedeen cause in a Rambo movie.

[…]

Afghans, including our students in Peshawar, look upon their casualties in the war against the Soviets "as an unrewarded gift to the West." (40) This is unsurprising, given that "CIA officials vowed to 'fight the Soviets to the last Afghan'." (41) However, the spirit of jihad that galvanized Afghans against the Soviets thereafter turned against the U.S. Jason Elliot recounts the following comments by an Afghan, illustrative of commonly shared sentiment: 'For ten years we fought the Russians. America helped us then, when Russia was the enemy. When we defeated them, the Americans were gone. Look at this country now, which we ourselves destroyed believing they would help us afterwards.' (42)

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(Numbers in brackets are references, which can be checked @ the end of the article linked to above)

Anyway, what I'm wondering is this .. was US backing for Afghan Islamic rebels (including support & training of Osama Bin Laden), during the 1980s, an attempt to even the 'Cold War score' for its Vietnam defeat??

In effect, is it possible to trace a line from Vietnam, to Afghanistan, to the atrocities of Sept 11th??

Personally, I'd say YES ~ very much so ~ what do people think?