Soviet Union Afghanistan
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111111-- Soviet Union ... 111111-- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ... [Read More]
Interview With Neda Farhat of Radio Liberty and Radio Afghanistan
SECRETARY RICE: We have not yet determined what we would do in terms our programs here but we are committed to a long-term relationship, whatever that might mean. And we understand that it was not a good thing the last time when the Soviet Union left, the United States did not stay by the Afghan people. This time the Afghan people could be certain that they'll have friends and partners for a long time to come.MS. FARHAT: OK, it’s your first trip in Afghanistan. How do you find Afghanistan and -- what do you think -- what challenges do you think the Afghan government and the United States is facing here in Afghanistan? SECRETARY RICE: I think Afghanistan is incredibly energetic and vibrant. I was saying to people in the car, all of the shops along the way, the shopkeepers who are selling things and producing things, the Afghan people obviously have a tremendous challenge after 25 years of civil war. To build a strong and stable econom ... [Read More]
Political and Security Situation of Women In Afghanistan
The Afghan war against the Soviet Union and the ensuing civil war resulted in the devastation of the country, millions of deaths, and the flight of additional millions of refugees, chiefly to Pakistan and Iran. In the chaos that ensued, the status of women deteriorated sharply. The Taliban came to power in 1996, in part by pledging to restore order to the country. However, the Taliban regime soon began to enforce a series of ultra-conservative laws, many of which repressed the human rights of women, such as:Most women were banned from working outside the home. Girls over eight years of age were denied education. Access to medical treatment was severely restricted. There was a brutally enforced restrictive dress code. Women were forbidden from leaving their homes unless accompanied by a male relative. ... [Read More]
HUMAN RIGHTS AND FOREIGN POLICY (1977)
Now, I believe in detente with the Soviet Union. To me it means progresstoward peace. But the effects of detente should not be limited to our owntwo countries alone. We hope to persuade the Soviet Union that one countrycannot impose its system of society upon another, either through directmilitary intervention or through the use of a client state's military force,as was the case with Cuban intervention in Angola. ... Our policy during this period was guided by two principles: a beliefthat Soviet expansion was almost inevitable but that it must be contained,and the corresponding belief in the importance of an almost exclusive allianceamong non-Communist nations on both sides of the Atlantic. That systemcould not last forever unchanged. Historical trends have weakened its foundation.The unifying threat of conflict with the Soviet Union has become less intensive,even though the competition has become more extensive. ... [Read More]
Limited Test Ban Treaty
The negotiating powers refrained from testing for the next three years. The "moratorium" was marked by several public statements of intent, by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, in varying degrees of specificity and with various caveats. At the end of December 1959 President Eisenhower announced that the United States would no longer consider itself bound by the "voluntary moratorium" but would give advance notice if it decided to resume testing. The Soviet Government stated on August 28 and Premier Khrushchev repeated on December 30, 1959, that the Soviet Union would not resume testing if the Western powers did not. France conducted its first test on February 13, 1960, two more later in the year, and a fourth on April 25, 1961. On May 15, 1961, the Soviet Government stated that if France continued testing, the Soviet Union might be compelled to test. On August 30, 1961, although neither the United States nor the United Kingdom had resumed testing ... [Read More]
Background Notes Archive - Near East and North Africa
U.S. Department of State______________________________________________________ The State Department does not guarantee the authenticity of documents on the Internet. If for legal or other reasons you require the original version of a document in hard copy, please contact the Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public Affairs. Note that State Department information is not copyrighted unless indicated and can be reproduced without consent. Citation of source is appreciated. Permission to reproduce any copyrighted material (including photos or graphics) must be obtained from the original source.______________________________________________________BACKGROUND NOTES: AFGHANISTANPUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRSU.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATEJULY 1994Official Name: Islamic State of AfghanistanPROFILEGeographyArea: 648,000 sq. km. (252,000 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than Texas. Cities (1993 est.): Capital--Kabul (est. 800,000). Other cit ... [Read More]
Reagan Doctrine
Breaking with the doctrine of “Containment," established during the Truman administration—President Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy was based on John Foster Dulles’ “Roll-Back” strategy from the 1950s in which the United States would actively push back the influence of the Soviet Union. Reagan’s policy differed, however, in the sense that he relied primarily on the overt support of those fighting Soviet dominance. This strategy was perhaps best encapsulated in NSC National Security Decision Directive 75. This 1983 directive stated that a central priority of the U.S. in its policy toward the Soviet Union would be “to contain and over time reverse Soviet expansionism,” particularly in the developing world. As the directive noted: ... [Read More]
Afghanistan (04/05)
By the mid-1980s, the tenacious Afghan resistance movement--aided by the United States, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others--was exacting a high price from the Soviets, both militarily within Afghanistan and by souring the U.S.S.R.'s relations with much of the Western and Islamic world. Informal negotiations for a Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan had been underway since 1982. In 1988, the Governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the United States and Soviet Union serving as guarantors, signed an agreement settling the major differences between them. The agreement, known as the Geneva accords, included five major documents, which, among other things, called for U.S. and Soviet noninterference in the internal affairs of Pakistan and Afghanistan, the right of refugees to return to Afghanistan without fear of persecution or harassment, and, most importantly, a timetable that ensured full Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan by February 15, 1989. About 14,500 Soviet and an estimated one ... [Read More]
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