Operation Cyclone

Quick Facts: Who was Operation Cyclone?

Subject:

Operation Cyclone

Known for:

CIA program funding and arming Afghan mujahideen from 1979 to 1992.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Operation Cyclone was the code name for the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) program to arm and finance the Afghan mujahideen in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1992, prior to and during the military intervention by the Soviet Union in support of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. The mujahideen were also supported by Britain's MI6, who conducted their own separate covert actions. The program leaned heavily towards supporting militant Islamic groups, including groups with jihadist ties, that were favored by the regime of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in neighboring Pakistan, rather than other, less ideological Afghan resistance groups that had also been fighting the Soviet-oriented Democratic Republic of Afghanistan administration since before the Soviet intervention. Operation Cyclone was one of the longest and most expensive covert CIA operations ever undertaken. Funding officially began with $695,000 USD in mid-1979, was increased dramatically to $20–$30 million per year in 1980, and rose to $630 million per year in 1987, described as the "biggest bequest to any Third World insurgency".

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Operation Cyclone is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the most expensive covert action in history. The first CIA-supplied weapons were antique British Lee–Enfield rifles shipped out in December 1979. By September 1986, the program included American-made state-of-the-art weaponry, such as FIM-92 Stinger surface-to-air missiles, some 2,300 of which were ultimately shipped into Afghanistan. Funding continued (albeit reduced) after the 1989 Soviet withdrawal, as the mujahideen continued to battle the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan during the First Afghan Civil War. Under the leadership of Nur Muhammad Taraki, communists seized power in Afghanistan on 27 April 1978.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The newly formed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA)—which was divided between Taraki's hardline Khalq faction and the more moderate Parcham—signed a treaty of friendship with the Soviet Union in December of that year. Taraki's efforts to improve secular education and redistribute land were accompanied by mass executions (including many conservative religious leaders) and political oppression unprecedented in Afghan history, igniting a revolt by Afghan mujahideen rebels, many of whom had been in exile in Pakistan following a failed uprising against the previous Republican regime in 1975. Following a general uprising in April 1979, Taraki was deposed by Khalq's rival Hafizullah Amin in September. Amin was considered a "brutal psychopath" by foreign observers; the Soviets were particularly alarmed by the brutality of the late Khalq regime and suspected Amin, an admirer of Stalin, of being an agent of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Although the CIA denied this, and several scholars have refuted any meaningful connection between Amin and the CIA, Amin once stated that he was funded by the CIA when he headed the Afghan student society during his studies at Columbia University in New York.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1975: 1975 Milestone — Taraki's efforts to improve secular education and redistribute land were accompanied by mass executions (including many conservative religious leaders) and political oppression unprecedented in Afghan history, igniting a revolt by Afghan mujahideen rebels, many of whom had been in exile in Pakistan following a failed uprising against the previous Republican regime in 1975.
2. 1978: 1978 Milestone — Under the leadership of Nur Muhammad Taraki, communists seized power in Afghanistan on 27 April 1978.
3. 1979: 1979 Milestone — Operation Cyclone was the code name for the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) program to arm and finance the Afghan mujahideen in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1992, prior to and during the military intervention by the Soviet Union in support of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
4. 1986: 1986 Milestone — By September 1986, the program included American-made state-of-the-art weaponry, such as FIM-92 Stinger surface-to-air missiles, some 2,300 of which were ultimately shipped into Afghanistan.
5. 1989: 1989 Milestone — Funding continued (albeit reduced) after the 1989 Soviet withdrawal, as the mujahideen continued to battle the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan during the First Afghan Civil War.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Operation Cyclone

True or False: “Operation Cyclone's primary goal was solely to overthrow the communist government established by Nur Muhammad Taraki.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While regime change was a factor, the program also aimed to counter Soviet influence and support various anti-Soviet resistance groups within Afghanistan.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Adolph Caesar — Historical peer (Died in 1986) (1986): Acclaimed American actor known for his deep voice and Off-Broadway staple status.

Frequently Asked Questions about Operation Cyclone