In this third and final part of a remarkable conversation, Milton Bearden reflects on the aftermath of the anti-Soviet jihad, the collapse of Afghanistan into civil war, and the decisions that helped shape the world that followed.
He speaks candidly about Pakistan’s uneasy relationship with the United States, arguing that Washington often treated Islamabad as a temporary necessity rather than a true ally. Bearden also offers blunt assessments of key Mujahideen figures, including Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, whom he describes as a deeply dangerous man, and reflects on the rivalries and corruption that consumed the movement after victory.
The conversation explores the rise of the Taliban, the misreading of Afghanistan by American policymakers, and the wider failures that followed the Soviet defeat. Bearden recalls how many in Washington came to dismiss Afghanistan as a remote and alien place once the Cold War objective had been achieved, despite the warning signs emerging from the chaos left behind.
He also reveals the extraordinary practical realities behind the covert war. From purchasing mules to arranging comforts for a deserting Soviet pilot, Bearden says he became involved in almost every aspect of the jihad. He challenges some of the mythology surrounding the war itself, discussing the realities of CIA and ISI cooperation, the flow of money and weapons, and the complicated personalities behind the anti-Soviet campaign.
At times reflective and at times brutally direct, Bearden describes how former allies turned on one another, and how the consequences of those years continued to shape Afghanistan long after the world stopped paying attention.
A striking conclusion to a rare firsthand account from the man who oversaw one of the CIA’s most consequential covert wars.
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