Afghanistan has often been a place for big powers to clash over their problems. Wars are frequent in the country. Now the situation in Afghanistan is very similar to the Chechen situation - there is no life for peaceful citizens there, and new disturbances are constant.

On the 28th of April 1978 the United Front of Communists of Afghanistan rose up in a revolution. The president of the country, Daud, was killed and the Revolution Council became a governing institution. Afghanistan was claimed a Democratic Republic. The USSR and USA disagreed over the new Republic within two days!

New, democratic forces were struggling with traditional ones. In April of 1979, asked by the Republic's government, the USSR sent Afghanistan weapons and military equipment. In December Soviet troops entered Afghanistan. On the one hand there was an intention to help the democratic, antiterrorist powers, and the "anti feudal revolution". The other motivation was associated with the danger of the Americans locating rockets in the territory of the new Republic (in the times of the Cold war such plans could be suspected easily).

The foreign power, controlling the inner business of the country was soon faced with major opposition. The president changed, the civil war developed.

The times, when the Soviet army was operating in Afghanistan, are called the times of "Soviet Occupation". However, it's difficult to see the real interest, which the USSR could have in this conflict. This is now considered to be an episode of the "Cold War" and is a contradiction between two world powers. But the Afghan conflict was not caused by Soviet interference.

Although General Gromov drew the troops out of the State in 1989, the problems were not solved. Social, political, and religious contradictions cumulated in aggression and made Afghanistan a good soil for terrorism. In 1996 the Taliban movement developed.

The Taliban are an extremist organization following a very narrow interpretation of Islam and having a declarative intention "to cease wars on Afghanistan territory". Such a motto was especially popular when the Soviet army was in the State. The Taliban regime strictly rules the life of those who appear to be in the zone of its extension. Women are "free" from working and studying. Opposing, less fundamental Islamic factions are oppressed.

In April 2001 combats in Afghanistan restarted, Taliban troops went on the offensive.

The fights are going on and the situation sharpened with last summer's terrorist acts against the United States. A large conflict involving many different interests has been instituted in order to root out the Taliban.

There is a relation between the Taliban and Bin Laden, the jihad hero of the times of "Soviet Occupation". In 1996 the Taliban asked him to come back after his exile from Sudan. Bin Laden's daughter is married to the Taliban leader Mulla Omar. Bin Laden's soldiers, "Afghan Arabs" took part in inner conflicts, provoked by the Taliban. Some Taliban troops were trained in Bin Laden's training camps in the Afghan mountains. These camps have been the major focus of the forces fighting the Taliban. The conflict continues.