Here is what I found online, do you know anything about this?
Two US Presidents (Reagan and I think the other was Carter) gave support to the Mujihadeen, because they helped bring down Russia in the Cold War - and that was successful.
However, one Mujihadeen recruit was Osama bin Laden, and after the USSR fell we all know what happened next...
So, was US support for the Mujihadeen a mistake? What could the Presidents have done better? How does the world get itself out of these violent cycles?
About Afghanistan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan
Direct and indirect causes:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Saudi_Arabia_proxy_war
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet%E2%80%93Afghan_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_rights_in_Afghanistan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mujahideen
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-spoils-of-war-afghanistan-s-multibillion-dollar-heroin-trade/91
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_production_in_Afghanistan
From the past:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Afghanistan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Afghan_War
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman%E2%80%93Hotaki_War_(1722%E2%80%9327)
Well Marianne, I could not seem to follow all the links, to see what is going on. I got stuck on the very first article, so LONG...but did learn much about Iran. I was especially concerned about the Anglo-Persian (or Anglo-Iranian) Company, which apparently was siphoning off huge oil wealth for Great Britain, while leaving most Iranians in poverty.
Indeed, there is much reading to do, as many different parties and interests were/are involved.
Here's some more info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Afghanistan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pashtuns
Yes, big interests have caused too many damages and conflicts.