Operation Cyclone

Operation Cyclone was the CIA's covert program to support Afghan mujahideen resistance fighters against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, running from 1979 to 1989. The operation began shortly after the Soviet invasion in December 1979 and became one of the largest and most expensive covert operations in CIA history, with total funding exceeding $3 billion.

The program was coordinated primarily through Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which served as the primary conduit for weapons, funding, and training to various Afghan resistance groups. The United States provided advanced weaponry including FIM-92 Stinger surface-to-air missiles, which proved highly effective against Soviet aircraft and helicopters.

Saudi Arabia matched American funding dollar-for-dollar, effectively doubling the resources available to the mujahideen. Other contributors included Egypt, which provided Soviet-manufactured weapons from its inventory, and China, which supplied additional arms through Pakistan. The operation represented a significant proxy war during the final phase of the Cold War.

The program successfully contributed to the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989, but it also had unintended long-term consequences. Many of the weapons and much of the infrastructure established during Operation Cyclone later fell into the hands of various militant groups, including some that would later oppose American interests in the region.

The operation's aftermath has been subject to debate regarding its role in the rise of various extremist groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan. While the direct connections are disputed, the massive influx of weapons, training, and radical ideology during the 1980s created conditions that influenced subsequent regional instability and the emergence of various militant organizations.