Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
- Soviets wanted to influence region and fit their southern expansion policy
- Sept. 19979, Soviets invaded and installed Babrak Karmal as a puppet President - The West, China, and India were alarmed and many boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics because of it - The invasion and Reagan being elected are seen as the ends of Detente We didn't push the Russians to intervene, but we knowingly increased the probability that they would...That secret operation was an excellent idea. It had the effect of drawing the Soviets into the Afghan trap ... The day that the Soviets officially crossed the border, I wrote to President Carter "We now have the opportunity of giving to the Soviet Union its Vietnam War."
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Soviets wanted more influence. Invaded, and signified as end of detente.
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