Operation Cyclone

Operation Cyclone ( eng. cyclone ) was the code name for a company of the Central Intelligence Agency, armed with the Afghan Mujahideen, trained and financed to fight in the Soviet- Afghan war against the Soviet troops. The program was directed primarily to militant Islamist groups that were prefers the neighboring country Pakistan and less on other, less ideologically aligned resistance groups who had fought before the Russian intervention in Afghanistan against the regime of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Operation Cyclone was one of the longest and most expensive CIA operations ever. In 1980, around 20 to 30 million U.S. dollars was paid for about $ 630 million was spent in 1987. On July 3, 1979, U.S. President Jimmy Carter signed the funding for the support of anti-communist guerrillas in Afghanistan. The arms shipments included later, during the Reagan presidency, and air defense weapons such as the FIM -92 Stinger.

Criticism

The support of the Mujahideen led to a strengthening of Islamism in Afghanistan, which the Taliban paved the way. Many funds also went to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who later became a supporter of Osama bin Laden was.