X-Nico

unusual facts about Soviet invasion of Afghanistan



2001 uprising in Herat

The Northern Alliance faction consisted of over 5,000 militiamen under the command of Ismail Khan, a commander in the previous Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan and former governor of Herat before the Taliban came into power in 1995.

David Larson

Larson was selected for the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, but was unable to compete because U.S. President Jimmy Carter organized the boycott of the Moscow Olympics in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Fausto Biloslavo

As a correspondent and free-lance journalist he witnessed conflicts from the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan to the Balkans, and the so-called, "forgotten wars" in Africa.

Michael G. Vickers

Vickers' role at the Central Intelligence Agency during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was featured in George Crile's 2003 book Charlie Wilson's War, and in the 2007 movie adaptation in which he is played by actor Christopher Denham.

Roland Sikinger

He was also a member of the 1980 U. S. Olympic soccer team which qualified for the tournament but was unable to compete when President Jimmy Carter decided that the United States would boycott the games due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Vladik Dzhabarov

He joined the Soviet Army to fight in the Invasion of Afghanistan for two years, where he continued to keep up a relationship with his trainer, and was introduced to war correspondent Artyom Borovik.


see also

Brian Hord

In February 1980 he made a speech in the European Parliament calling for a boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the internal exile of Andrei Sakharov; he attacked the European Commission's policy as "incredibly absurd, arrogant, insensitive and inept".

Jeff Stock

Unfortunately for Stock and his team mates, President Jimmy Carter chose to boycott the games in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

John Lignos

However, he and his team mates did not compete after President Jimmy Carter boycotted the Olympics following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Perry Van der Beck

Despite qualifying for the tournament, the U.S. did not send a team to Moscow when President Jimmy Carter organized a boycott of the games in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.