CIA — The World Factbook: This is the reason why I love the Internet so much. I saw the 2000 version of this in a bookstore, and the information fetish inside me instantly said, “Buy! Buy! Buy!”.
Well, it was 70 bucks and I was broke. But now, the latest version of this incredibly informative resource is online. On Afghanistan, the CIA reports:
“Afghanistan was invaded and occupied by the Soviet Union in 1979. The USSR was forced to withdraw 10 years later by anti-communist mujahidin forces supplied and trained by the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others. Fighting subsequently continued among the various mujahidin factions, but the fundamentalist Islamic Taliban movement has been able to seize most of the country. In addition to the continuing civil strife, the country suffers from enormous poverty, a crumbling infrastructure, and widespread land mines.”
