Part 2/13:
Afghanistan’s decades-long turmoil predates the US invasion. Starting in the 1970s, the country experienced ongoing warfare: first, the Soviet invasion, followed by a brutal civil war, the rise of the Taliban, and finally, the US-led intervention after 9/11. This cycle has repeated itself time and again, with the Taliban consolidating power around 1996, imposing their harsh Islamic Emirate, and battling the Northern Alliance — the last major internal opposition.