"I'm not sure how the CIA types that ran the operation against the Soviets get away with their narratives completely unchallenged. The brave freedom fighters turned out to be a complex mix, to put it mildly.

The biggest lesson is that our running the operation through our allies became problematic in addition to, "we will end up owning regime change." More problematic than self-aggrandizing CIA types allow. Myth and reality are two different things. They didn't know where the money was going and they didn't really know what was going on. Freedom fighters my $%#. Nice job, Foreign Policy. No one else on the digital rolodex to write op eds?"

Agree with all. Seems they forget our assistance helped oust the Soviets combat forces but Moscow still supported the government while Pakistan was focused on radicalizing the Talibs to pursue their interests in Afghanistan. That makes you wonder who we were supposed to provide aid to? The various Afghan tribes killing each other, the Soviet sponsored government, or the Talibs? Typical CIA rhetoric: blame, deny, and counter accuse.