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Chapter 2 A Country in Turmoil T he origins of the American war in Afghanistan go back decades, and events from centuries ago play an important part. Afghanistan today is a very diverse country. This is because of its location on the major trade routes that passed through central Asia between the historic empires in Persia (Iran) and India. As a result, many different ethnic groups, who speak more than 30 different languages, live in Afghanistan. The largest of these groups are the Pashtun, who make up nearly half of the population. They live primarily in southern and eastern Afghanistan, although Pashtun communities can be found

Soviet troops in armored vehicles patrol a rural area of Afghanistan. The Soviet invasion in 1979 drew international condemnation. Soviet troops remained in the country for more than a decade.