Open AccessInvolvement of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the Events in Afghanistan in the Late 1970s
Author(s) -
Taisiуa Rabush
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
vestnik volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. seriâ 4. istoriâ, regionovedenie, meždunarodnye otnošeniâ
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.308
H-Index - 2
eISSN - 2312-8704
pISSN - 1998-9938
DOI - 10.15688/jvolsu4.2021.1.12
Subject(s) - afghan , geopolitics , middle east , political science , government (linguistics) , spanish civil war , state (computer science) , position (finance) , foreign policy , internationalization , ancient history , geography , economic history , law , history , politics , philosophy , linguistics , finance , algorithm , computer science , economics , microeconomics
. In this article, the author examines the position of the countries of the Middle East region in the late 1970s with regard to the armed conflict in Afghanistan. The emphasis is on the period on the eve of the entry of the Soviet troops to Afghanistan – from the April Revolution of 1978 until December 1979. The author’s focus is on two states: Pakistan directly bordering on Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, which is a major geopolitical actor in the region. Methods and materials. The author relies on documentary sources such as “Department of state bulletin”, documents of secret correspondence of the U.S. foreign policy agencies, documents of the U.S. National Security Archive, and special volumes on Afghanistan and the Middle East in “Foreign Relations of the United States. Diplomatic Papers, 1977–1980”. Thanks to these sources, it is possible to prove that the involvement of the states of the region in the Afghan armed conflict and its internationalization began even before the Soviet troops entered Afghanistan. Analysis. First, an overview of the objectives pursued by these states in Afghanistan and in the internal Afghan armed conflict is given. Following this, the author consistently reveals the position of these states in relation to the April Revolution of 1978, the ever-increasing Soviet involvement in the Afghan events (1978–1979) and the civil war that started against the Kabul government. Results. In conclusion the article reveals the role of these states in the process of internationalization of the Afghan armed conflict, which, according to the author, began before the Soviet troops entered Afghanistan.