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of the Mogul dynasty of India–
made Kabul bis capital in 1504. He
used Kabul as bis base for the con–
quest of India.
Because the country has been
overrun throughout its history by
various conquering peoples, the eth–
nic backgrounds of the different seg–
ments of the population are widely
varied. Afghanistan today has a
diversified population consisting of
Pathans or Pushtus (60 percent),
Tajiks (30 percent), Uzbeks (5 per–
cent) and others including Hazaras
and Turkmen.
Blg-Power Rlvalry
A unified state covering most of
present Afghanistan was establ ished
in the 18th century by Ahmed Shah
Durrani. He was crowned
amir
in
1747, the year of the overthrow of
Persian rule.
lt
was around the beginning of the
19th century that the history of
Afghanistan became infiuenced for
the first time by European powers.
Afghani rulers found themselves
involved in a dangerous game of
Central Asían diplomacy played by
the British masters of India and
czarist Russia.
British policy was to maintain
Afghanistan as a friendly indepen–
dent power, which would act as a
buffer between British-dominated
India to the south and expansionist
Russia in the north. Western fears of
a Soviet drive into Afghanistan thus
date back long before the rise of
communism in the Soviet Union.
The British had no illusions about
Russia's ultimate objectives. The
czar's designs, they well knew, went
far beyond the limited goal of
extending Russian influence over
Afghanistan.
The geographical facts speak for
themselves. Russia's northern coast on
the Arctic Ocean has long been a
source of great frustration for the
country. Though one of the longest
coastlines in the world, it is almost
entirely icebound in winter. For centu–
ries, Russian czars have dreamed of a
warm-waterporton theArabianSea–
just 300 miles to the south ofAfghanis–
tan. Afghanistan would be the logical
first step toward that goal.
Britain eventually fought two wars
36
in the 19th century to check the
southward expansion of the czars.
The British sought to secure a strong–
er position in the Punjab region of
northwest India to prevent the exten–
sion of the Russian sphere of in–
fiuence to the India borders- and
beyond.
Attempts by Afghani amir Dost
Mohammed to exploit Anglo-Rus–
sian rivalry led to the First Afghan
War (1838-42). The British suc–
ceeded in taking Kabul and setting
their candidate on the throne there.
Shortly after the British evacuated
the country, however, Dost Moham–
med regained his throne.
In 1877, British relations with the
Afghans once again broke down. The
amir, Shere Ali, began to make
friendly overtures to the Russians.
He received a Russian mission at
Kabul, while at the same time refus–
ing to receive a British one. Shere
Ali's failure to respond to a British
ultimatum sparked the Second Af–
ghan War (1878-80).
Anglo-lndian forces occupied
Afghanistan and took charge of the
Khyber Pass, the key point in British
control of the Afghan border. Shere
Ali was ousted and replaced by pro–
British amir 4.'\bdur Rahman Khan.
In return for an annual subsidy from
the British, the amir agreed to Brit–
ish control of Afghanistan's foreign
affai rs. Russian objectives were
thwarted-for the moment.
The Walklng Bear
The czars, however, were not about
to abandon their long-cherished goal.
Rudyard Kipling-Britain's cele–
brated poet, novelist and short story
writer- saw this more clearly than
most of bis contemporaries. In 1898
he composed a political poem entitled
"The Truce of the Bear" in which he
warned Britain against czarist inten–
tions.
In the poem Mr. Kipling likened
Russia to a bear, whom he called
Adam-zad. The poet made it clear
that a bear's nature and resolve to
crush its foes never changes-even
when the bear might, as a ruse, feign
friendliness or even capitulation. The
man in the poem succumbed to the
seemingly peaceful overtures of the
bear, with dire consequences:
"Nearer he tottered and nearer,
with paws like hands that pray,
From brow to jaw that steel-shod
paw, it ripped my face away!"
Mr. Kipling's conclusion: "Make
ye no truce with Adam-zad-the
Bear that walks like a Man!"
After a briefThird Afghan War in
1919, the British recognized Afghan
independence and local rule was
established. The emirate was
changed to a kingdom in 1926.
In 1973, a military coup-the first
of many-ended the monarchy. A
Soviet-Afghan dialogue began within
a month. The Walking Bear had at
last gotten bis foot in the door.
Next Target-Paklstan!
By virtue of the recent events in
Afghanistan, the Soviets are now in a
position to exert heavy political pres–
sure on neighboring Pakistan-the
next step toward their ultimate
objective.
Pakistan is composed of four prov–
inces, two on each side of the Indus
river. The two provinces on the east–
ern side- Punjab and Sind- are in
the firm control of the Pakistani
government in l slamabad. The two
provinces west of the lndus-North–
West Frontier and Baluchistan–
have for many years been in a state
of unrest.
Afghanistan could now be used by
the Soviets as a base from which to
make contact among etbnic minori–
ties in those provinces-and probably
in Iran as well. Of primary impor–
tance is the long-simmering indepen–
dence movement among the Baluchi
tribesmen of western Pakistan. The
Baluchis there have long sought to
unite with their fellow tribesmen in
southern Afghanistan and eastern
lran to form an independent state of
Baluchistan.
Strong evidence points to deep
Soviet involvement in this effort to
carve out a separate Baluchi state. A
pro-Soviet vassal state in Baluchistan
would effectively extend USSR in–
fiuence all the way south to the Gulf
of Oman (see map). The Kremlin
would at last have the warm-water
ports on the Arabian Sea, which it
has sought since the days of the
czars!
Moreover- as an added bonus-
The
PLAIN TRUTH