Afghanistan and Khaled Hosseini

1. Afghanistan and Khaled Hosseini

2. Regional Map • Afghanistan is a landlocked country, making the export of goods difficult and expensive. • It has rugged mountains and plains and is prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and drought. • Temperatures are extreme, as hot as 120° F in the summer and as cold as -15° F in the winter. • There are limited natural fresh water sources, and most of the land has been overgrazed and deforested, causing desertification and soil degradation, making farming difficult.

3. Data Information Capital: Kabul Area: 251,825 sq mi; slightly smaller than Texas Population: 31,056,997 (July 2006 estimate)80% Sunni Muslim, 19% Shia Muslim Main ethnic groups: Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek GDP per capita: purchasing power parity - $800 (2004 estimate) Over 80% of labor force is employed in agriculture (farming, sheep, goats) Covered by an estimated 5-7 million landmines Leading illicit opium producer in 2005 supplying 89% of the opium produced in the world. 1/3 of the GDP comes from opium trade

4. Ethnic Groups Map Pashtun: largest ethnic group, mostly farmers and Sunni Muslims Tajik: live mostly in the northeast, second largest ethnic group, mostly Sunni Muslims Hazara: live in the Hindu Kush mountains, primarily Shiite Muslims Uzbek: live mostly along the northern border, mostly Sunni Muslims Aimaqs: a farming and herding tribe in the west, mostly Sunni Muslims Turkmen and Kirghiz: nomadic herders and craftsmen, mostly Sunni Muslims Baluch: nomadic tribe living in the southern deserts, Sunni Muslims

5. Afghan War 1978-92 • Conflict between anti-Communist Muslim Afghan guerrillas (mujahidin) and Afghan government and Soviet forces • 1978 coup de teat- overthrew Afghan president Sardar Muhammad Daud Khan • Kahn had gained power by ousting the king in 1973 • Kahn was assassinated and a pro-Soviet Communist government under Noor Mohammed Taraki

6. Change Again??? • 1979- another coup brought Hafizullah Amin to power • This prompted the Soviet forces to invade December 1979 • Soviets placed Babrak Karmal as president

7. Soviet invasion began with 30,000 troops and escalated to 100,000 • The mujahidin were supported by the United States, China, and Saudi Arabia • In order to avoid war with these countries the money and supplies were funneled though Pakistan and Iran • Mujahidin operated fairly freely in the mountains and pushed the Soviets out

8. Again??? • 1986- Karmal resigned and Mohammad Najibullah became leader • Feb. 1988 Gorbachev announced withdrawl of USSR • Soviets loss patience with the war due to high casualties and lack of success • 1992- Najibullah’s government collapsed and 14 years of the People’s Democratic party fell to the mujahidin under Ahmed Shah Massoud

9. Facts after the War • Country was left with severe political, economic, and ecological problems • 1 million Afghans died • 5 million Afghans became refugees in neighboring countries • 15,000 Soviet soldiers were killed and 37,000 wounded • Due to the tribes unable to unite the Taliban was able to take control later in the decade

10. After the Soviets pulled out post-government was not set up and caused the Interim Islamic Government of Afghanistan was established in exile • This caused many groups including refugees and Shiite to be excluded – This gov. never acted as a functional government

11. The prolonged conflict caused the nation to be ranked 170 out of 174 nations as the poorest • US interests halted after USSR left the country • US did not help in reconstruction of Afghanistan and handed over the interests of the country to its allies Saudi Arabia and Pakistan • Pakistan took relations with warlords and later the Taliban to insure trade interests and routs

12. Due to all but 2% of the forest cover being destroyed the country may never recover • Country is one of the world’s major suppliers of opium • “Children born in Afghanistan at the start of the war… have been brought up in war conditions, this is their way of life.” • Captain Tarlan Eyvazov Later this was proven true when the Taliban gained power by Afghan refugees and orphans

13. Khaled Hosseini • 1965- Kabul, Afghanistan • Father was a diplomat and mother taught Farsi and History at a large high school until 1970 • Hosseini was in the 4th grade when the Afghan King was overthrown in a bloodless coup • 1976 the family had been relocated to Paris • 1980- after a bloody communist coup they were granted political asylum in the US

14. September 1980- family moved to San Jose, CA • Lived on welfare and food stamps for a short time as all property was lost in Afghanistan • Father worked multiple jobs to get family independent • Graduated from high school in 1984 • Santa Clara University- bachelor's degree Biology 1988 • University of California- San Diego’s School of Medicine- 1993 • Residency at Cedar’s Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and began practicing internal medicine in 1996

15. First love has always been writing • Good memories of peaceful pre-Soviet era Afghanistan and of his personal experiences with Afghan Hazaras