The problem with that myth is that it has been circulated for so long now that people now believe it , as some sort of historical fact . Nothing could be farther than the truth . The Soviet reasons for intervention and the reluctancy of its political and military leaders to do so is well known . It was never indicated by any means , that the eventual target of the now defunct USSR was to get access to warm waters , whereas it was trying to save the comrades-in-Kabul and in the meantime , hoping to bring some stability to the tense Central Asian region . It may be worth noting that during the initial years of Zia-ul-Haq in office , he was facing severe International isolation . Therefore , analysts believe that when the communists intervened on the request of Afghan Govt , he saw it as a golden opportunity to get out of it . In a fortnight , the entire world minus the Soviet bloc - The Warsaw Pact members became supportive of his actions . Mr.Zia somehow thought that he could be the next ' Commander of the Faithful ' and a sort of de facto leader of the Muslim world . What the fool , didn't realize that he was merely a pawn in a larger scheme of things . That the ' victory isn't for goblins ( third world countries ) in a wizard's ( superpowers ) war ' . The delusions of the grand power that the man harbored were unbelievable . The Soviet , communist threat were raised to disproportionate levels , the society radicalized with an imported version of Islam and a special alliance forged with the Mullah brigade and the Madarsa Graduates .
What people do not realize is that USSR at that time , wasn't remotely doing well . Moscow wasn't that powerful to to come to Gwadar or Karachi when they weren't even expecting victory in Afghanistan .
The USSR due to its economic policies and huge military spending vis a vis U.S was already on the verge of decline . Just like the Americans aren't leaving Afghanistan today because they are military defeated , the Reds didn't do so because they had lost some 14,000 comrades but mainly because their economy didn't permit them to further continue the futile endeavor furthermore . However , the Pakistani involvement in the Soviet war did speed things up , which had to happen sooner or later just like the civil war in Afghanistan and struggle for control of Kabul . Hadn't it been for the Islamabad's military training and support to the point of direct involvement with the SSG and Pakistan Army , the Soviet causalities are expected to be much less . However , that of course wasn't the cause of the withdrawal .
Gen.Zia had again got a golden chance to point out that the ' godless infidels ' had been defeated and abandoned Afghanistan adding credibility to his quest for Muslim world leadership . A person who had defeated a superpower in the public's view . What he didn't remember that Americans use people and after their work is done and the objectives achieved , they are discarded , much like the Commander of the Faithful was , who would die with an American ambassador on board .