![]() On May 27, 2010, 21 years after the final Soviet troops crossed it, a U.S. This era brought security troops back to the banks of the Amu Darya River and the old “Friendship Bridge” the Russians left behind back in 1989. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Mark O’Donald/Released) ![]() 11, 2001, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) began a military mission in Afghanistan that would eventually lead to the establishment of 700 military bases in the country – some operated by NATO member nations and some by Afghan National Security Forces.Ī closer view of the Afghan Border Policeman’s FÉG AMD-65 rifle. 15, 1989 and (7,771 days or 21 years, 3 months, 12 days later).īut the withdrawal of Soviet forces marked instead the beginning of the Afghan Civil War, which would lead in turn to the rise of the Taliban and ultimately a jihadist network named Al-Qaeda. “Then and now” comparison of the “Freedom Bridge” over the Amu Darya River showing Feb. What happened on the bridge that day ultimately became symbolic of the collapse of the Soviet Union at a time when the future, particularly Afghanistan’s, briefly looked optimistic. ![]() 15, 1989, the moment marked the end of the Soviet military’s presence in Afghanistan and a turning point in the Cold War. When one final column of armored fighting vehicles crossed the “Friendship Bridge” on Feb. ![]()
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