Been trying to understand the 80's and 90's and the trigger factors to the rise of insurgencies, guerrilla warfare, and international terrorism - Taliban, RUF, Hezbollah, Hamas etc.

This period was also during the end of cold war - ie US and Soviets withdrawing troops and lettings the countries figure out for themselves

One interesting factor is who funded the “Mujahideen” - who are also known as the Jihads. During cold war, US picked out Afghanistan and Pakistan as the best position against Soviets (in my previous note, the CIA agents shares about it). They funded this jihadis group with training and military arms to go against the soviet-backed regime.

Eventually the Geneva accord was signed which signifies the ending of the Soviet-Afghan War.

Soviet Union held on to its promise and withdrew its army. But US renegaded and kept funding the mujahedin. Eventually the Mujahedin took down the formerly backed soviet regime.

The Taliban grew from the mujahedin.

The various fractions of Jihadist also exist in Iran, Iraq, Cyprus, Myanmar, Philippines, Syria, Nigeria, Somalia, Bosnia

The Arab Springs happened later – as an anti gov't protest (against corrupt gov't) in the 2010s by armed rebellions - starting in Tunisia, Yemen, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain. It spread even more - Morocco, Algeria, Lebanon, Jordon, Kuwait, Oman, Sudan, Iraq. Those with oil and wealth sustained. Some became democratic. Some still in civil wars. I'll dive into the foreign interventions during this time on a diff note but this was also when the CIA came back.

But to end this note, Qaddafi of Libya was always portrayed as a cruel, evil dictator. When he died, media everywhere rejoiced in his death. I first came across different sentiments of Qaddafi as I read Frantz Fanon's books - on the spread of Islamization in North Africa, the Black Panther etc.

The second time I read about his kindness and how he was loved by his people was through Mohammad Ali's autobiography. He sent money to build Mosques in the US through Black Panther. He started rebuilding the Libyan economy. He did not want to collaborate with the US and I’m guessing it didn’t make him popular as Libya is top 10 country with oil reserve. He opposed imperialism, removed class system, educated women etc.

But it wasn’t all bed of roses, maybe the first 2 decades of his 4 decade of ruling was great and later he became a bit cuckoo, but he wasn’t hated or feared by his people. I also read how he was killed, including anal penetration.Today there is no longer peace and prosperity in Libya, but there is a ceasefire since 2020.

The world is messy. How do you prevent corrupt gov’ts? Is foreign intervention needed?

What do you do when arm rebellions come to your house and threaten to shoot your family down if you do not shoot your neighbours? Are you then named a terrorist too? I've read many stories similar to scenarios like this.

But one thing I realized is that post colonization, a lot of countries will be figuring out leaderships for themselves and bound to have corrupt leaders, and people have to step up. It becomes messy for some period of time.

Perhaps, this is the adjustment period post cold war which is also somewhat colonization. And perhaps its best to let it be without foreign intervention. A lot of times foreign intervention has ulterior motives and countries are suppressed. However countries like Sierra Leone would not have survive if British did not step in.

I'm still forming thoughts on this, this is an ongoing journey