Kite Runner and the History of Afghanistan

By chasecimmet

  • Hassan Is Born

    Hassan was born in the servants home at Amir's house, an old small shack. His mother ran off with a musical group just a week after giving birth to him. "It was there, in that little shack, that Hassan was born in the winter of 1964" (Hosseini 6). Since Hassan's family are Hazaras, he was born in a small shack. His mom, Sanaubar, proves to be a bad mother when she runs off.

  • Amir Watches Hassan Get Raped

    When Amir sees Assef raping Hassan in the alleyway, he does nothing about it although Hassan always stands up for him. "In the end, I ran" (Hosseini 77). Hassan had stood up for Amir multiple times in the book, but Amir does not stand up for his friend. This shows that Amir is a poor friend to Hassan. He does not even tell Hassan that he saw the rape.

  • Beginning Of The Soviet-Afghan War

    In 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Kabul and took control of Afghanistan. Violence in the country has been extremely high since the invasion. "Afghanistan... has little known peace since 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded" ("Afghanistan- An Overview").

  • First Soviet Troops Parachute Into Kabul

    Soviet troops first arrived in Afghanistan to assist the new communist president who was put in power by a coup. Many think the Russians were behind this coup, but there is no proof. "The first Soviet troops parachuted into Kabul on December 27, 1979, to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist Leadership" ("Afghanistan- An Overview").

  • US Boycotts Moscow Games

    In the book, Amir talks about when the US announced its boycott of the 1980 Moscow games. Baba dislikes the US's decision and complains that Jimmy Carter is just as communist as the Russian leader. "Baba believed Carter had unwittingly done more for communism than Leonid Brezhnev" (Hosseini 126). Babe thinks that Jimmy Carter is being a coward by pulling the US out of the Russian olympics. Obviously Baba is not a huge fan of president Carter.

  • Amir Graduates From High School

    Amir's graduation from high school is very significant to Baba because it shows how far they have come. Baba is very proud of Amir, and eventually buys him a car. "That summer of 1983, I graduated from high school at the age of twenty" (Hosseini 130). Baba and Amir came from a war torn country with poor education, so Amir graduating from an American high school is definitely something to celebrate. Baba shows his affection for Amir when he buys him a car.

  • Last Soviet Troops Leave Afghanistan

    Due to air force support from the US and peace talks, the Soviets finally left Afghanistan after 9 years. When they left, they left a war-torn country that was a hotspot for Islamic Extremists. "Eventually, after peace talks moderated by the UN, the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989, in what was in effect a unilateral withdrawal" ("Afghanistan- An Overview").

  • Fight For Power In Afghanistan Begins

    In the summer of 1994, the fight for power began due to the Soviet's absence. Warlords competed for control, and individual groups claimed their own land. "...power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms" ("Afghanistan- An Overview").

  • Taliban Takes Control Of Afghanistan

    Pakistani aid helped the Taliban take over Afghanistan.When the Taliban took control, strict Islamic laws were put in place especially toward women. "Buoyed by Pakistani aid, the Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamentalist Islamic law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing" ("Afghanistan- An Overview").

  • Amir And Sohrab Return To America

  • 9/11 Attacks

  • President Bush Orders Taliban To Hand Over Bin Laden

    Soon after the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush ordered the Taliban to hand over Bin Laden or military action would be taken.The Taliban refused so the US aided rebel groups and eventually drove the Taliban out of major Afghan cities.What was left of the Taliban and Al Queda retreated to the Pakistan border. "...president George W. Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr. Bin Laden" ("Afghanistan- An Overview").

  • US Invasion of Afghanistan

    Following the attacks of 9/11, the US invaded Afghanistan due to the Taliban seizing power in Afghanistan, and Al Queda performing the attacks in New York. The US would eventually be successful in defeating both groups. "The 2001 invasion succeeded in dislodging Al Queda and removing the Taliban from power..." ("Afghanistan-An Overview").

  • Hamid Karzai Sworn In As Interim Afghan Leader

    Hamid Karzai, a former exiled King of Afghanistan, was made interim leader of the government that replaced the Taliban. He wished to restore peace in Afghanistan and receive much-needed international aid. He would later prove himself to be a good leader and was elected to a five year term in 2004. "...the exiled former King of Afghanistan was named chairman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban" ("Afghanistan- An Overview").

  • Amir Teaches Sohrab To Fly The Kite

  • US Military Focus Shifts From Iraq to Afghanistan

    When Obama was elected president, the US military focus soon was changed to Afghanistan rather than the war in Iraq. Many troops were drawn out of Iraq and deployed in Afghanistan, "drawing troops out of Iraq and increasing the number in Afghanistan by almost 50,000" ("Afghanistan-An Overview").

  • Obama Announces Plan To Deploy 30,000 Additional Troops To Afghanistan

    In a speech, president Obama announced plans to send 30,000 troops into Afghanistan. He also promised that American forces would be out of Afghanistan by 2011, although that deadline would later be extended. "Mr. Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops" ("Afghanistan- An Overview").