Instructions: Read the following paragraph and answer the question listed below. Your response should be one page (not including title and reference page) and have at least one reference. Adhere to the APA 7 guidelines for your response and references.
The war between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan lasted more than 9 years from 1979 to 1989 (Reuveny & Prakash, 1999). Hundreds of thousands of civilians died, and thousands of Soviet troops and Afghan troops were killed during the conflict including Mujahideen fighters. After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, the Taliban began to rise and gain power in Afghanistan (Reuveny & Prakash, 1999). The Soviets left an arsenal of weapons, munitions, tanks, mortars, grenades, artillery, and other military equipment throughout Afghanistan because of the war conflict. The Taliban used this equipment in their rise to power in the 1990s and 2000s. Today, when leaving a war conflict, the United States attempts to destroy or remove/relocate as much military equipment and munitions as possible.
Reference
Reuveny, R., & Prakash, A. (1999). The Afghanistan war and the breakdown of the Soviet Union. Review of International Studies, 25(4), 693–708.
Question:
Do you believe that if the Soviet Union had destroyed its arsenal of weaponry and military equipment after the withdrawal in 1989 that the Taliban would have gained power? Would it have reduced terrorism in Afghanistan? Why, or why not?
