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Neither. The treaty and troops requests started under Taraki. He was disposed of by Amin and executed by Amin.
Yes, and Soviets did not send troops then, even refused him. It was months after Amin took power, did Amin invite Soviets again? Answer is no, so how can Soviets invade a sovereign nation and oust their leader?
Karmal did call for Soviet forces, which was why he placed in power.
It wasn't a mistake, it was just a lack of political will.
Modern wars are won by destroying the enemy's ability to produce war materiel.
Why do you think in WW II you bombed the oil fields in Romania and oil storage tank farms and refineries and industrial cities in Germany?
Because Germany cannot fight if it cannot produce weapons, vehicles, ammunition, fuel and supplies.
The Viet Cong cannot fight if they have no ammunition.
All the US had to do was move three infantry divisions into the Chu Pong Massif and sweep north along the Ho Chi Minh Trail through Cambodia into Laos right up to the border of Vietnam and sit there in a blocking position.
The war ends in 30-90 days.
That's it.
Had the US done that in late 1965 or early 1966 it would be game over for North Vietnam. The Tet Offensive never happens, because North Vietnam cannot move weapons, ammunition, equipment, food, medical and other supplies into South Vietnam for the Viet Cong to use.
At that point, North Vietnam has to engage with the NVA or shut up.
How would that have gone?
You need only look at Operation Linebacker I & II where US air power annihilated NVA units attempting to engage ARVN forces.
The border at the DMZ between North and South Vietnam is very narrow, and the second the US saw NVA divisions marshaling there to cross the DMZ into the South, US air power would have been all over them and annihilated them before they even crossed the border.
Why didn't McNamara do that? Because he's a gutless blithering idiot.
For the Soviets, the situation was similar.
US-supplied weapons, ammunition, equipment, food, medical and other supplies are being smuggled from Pakistan across the mountains into Afghanistan.
The Soviets could have invaded Pakistan and set up a blocking position on the south side of the mountains to prevent the US-supplied weapons, ammunition, equipment, food, medical and other supplies from being smuggled into Afghanistan.
Cambodia and Laos were failed States. Neither government could exercise control over its borders or rural areas. The governments basically only had power and control over their capital cities.
Pakistan is not a failed State, and worse than that, it is allied with the US and China, and the Soviets could not invade Pakistan without inviting the wrath of both the US and China.
The Soviets could have set up a blocking position on the north side of the mountains in Afghanistan, except the US is giving Pakistan money to buy weapons from Iran, and there's no guarantee weapons, equipment and supplies would not then be smuggled from Iran into Afghanistan.
It would have taken another 10-12 Soviet divisions to secure the Iran-Afghanistan border.
Unlike Vietnam which had a clear aggressor, namely North Vietnam, neither Iran nor Pakistan are aggressors, so the Soviets would have had to leave those units there permanently.
The best case scenario for the Soviets would have been to withdraw after destroying all three armies, then send advisors and aid to the Afghan government to maintain power.
I never said they did.
Oh please, don't get me started about our blunders in Viet Nam. I suppose I should have used the word "blunder" in that comment you quoted. I read Ngyuen Giaps book Peoples War Peoples Army at a fairly early age. My Dad, who had three tours in Nam had it in his library. If you're familiar with that book I need not comment further.
So to a large extent I agree with you. As I said earlier the Soviet purpose for invasion was correct through Soviet eyes, their strategy for it flawed.
If Trump claims anything, I automatically feel safe assuming the exact opposite to be reasonable and true.
Good rule of thumb
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