Part 7: The Complex History of Islamic Extremism and Russia's Contribution to the Rise of Al Qaeda and ISIS

As the Russo-Afghan War is reaching its conclusion, the United States pits Iran and Iraq against each other in an effort to weaken both nations.

Mujahideen fighters in Afghanistan, 1985
Credit – Erwin Franzen, Creative Commons 2.0-4.0

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This is part seven of a multi-report series that explains the rise of modern Islamic extremism. From 1951 to 2021, a series of key geopolitical events, many independent of each other, caused the Islamic Revolution, the rise of Al Qaeda and ISIS, the creation and collapse of the caliphate, and the reconstitution of ISIS as the ISKP. While Western influence and diplomatic blunders are well-documented throughout this period, the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation are equally culpable. The editors would like to note that a vast majority of the 1.8 billion people who are adherents to some form of Islam are peaceful and reject all forms of religious violence.

If you missed the previous installment, part six is available.

President Ali Khamenei of Iran tours his troops during the Iraq-Iran War in August 1988 - Photographer unknown - License Under Creative Commons

The United States embraces the Iran-Iraq War and pushed for a stalemate

The Russo-Afghan War was coming to an end with a Russian defeat and an unclear future for both the Soviet Union and the Afghan people. On the western flank of the Soviet Union, Saddam Hussein’s attempt to redraw the Iran-Iraq border turned into a full-scale war. Multiple nations quietly turned the conflict into their own proxy war, with the U.S. taking center stage. Osama bin Laden was forming Al Qaeda. A toxic geopolitical stew was about the explode.

In the first three months of the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq achieved multiple successes on the battlefield before momentum shifted. With relations already firmly established, Iraq was able to freely buy weapons and ammunition from the Soviet Union, France, and China.

While the U.S. didn’t directly supply weapons to Baghdad, Washington lifted dual-use sanctions, which permitted the sale of civilian technology and heavy equipment that could be easily pressed into military service. And while declassified records show that no single nation provided Baghdad with the resources and technology to produce chemical weapons, companies from France, the U.S., West Germany, the U.K., and the Netherlands sold dual-use components, with France selling precursor chemicals to support the production of Sarin nerve gas.

Iran had deeper problems and could only find support from North Korea for weapons and ammunition, and one other very unusual ally. Israel provided spare parts and ammunition for the existing Iranian arsenal of U.S. military technology. Tel Aviv believed that if Iraq won the war, its victory could empower Syria, which would present a broader threat to their sovereignty and stability.

While those were the publicly visible relationships, the U.S. was supporting both combatants. From 1981 to 1986, the CIA sold weapons to Iran through French shell companies. The profits were given to the Contras, who used the money to buy weapons to fight against the Soviet-backed Sandinista government in Nicaragua. When the Iran-Contra Affair was exposed, it escalated into a major political scandal.

In 1986, Iranian forces captured the Fao Peninsula in Iraq, sending jolts through the West. Concern grew that Iran could win the war, spreading racial Islam across the Middle East. Due to support through the Iran-Contra Affair, Tehran started sharing military intelligence with Washington, which was already receiving military intelligence from Iraq.

The 1986 Iran-initiated Tanker War didn’t help Tehran’s cause, and Kuwait and Saudi Arabia boosted military support to Iraq. To tip the balance of power back, Washington started sharing the Iranian military plans with Baghdad.

Iraq regained the initiative, pushed Iranian forces out of the Fao Peninsula, and on August 20, 1988, United Nations Security Council Resolution 598 ended the Iran-Iraq War. While both nations were left economically devastated, the Iranian military was an empty shell. One to two million people died, including at least 500,000 soldiers. The majority of the military dead were members of the Iranian Basij. Among the casualties were at least 60,000 killed by chemical weapons, including 50,000 Iranians and 10,000 Iraqi Kurds.

For Hussein, the last eight years allowed him to transform into a brutal and feared dictator. With the war against Iran over, he set his sights on a new military objective. Iraq believed that Kuwait didn’t have the right to exist.

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Coming Up Next, Part 8: The Soviet Union backs a third coup in Afghanistan, installing the KGB-trained head of the KhAD as the new head. Despite Moscow’s efforts, Gorbachev is forced to accept a bad peace and withdraw versus no peace and stay. After a decade of war and political interference in an attempt to stop Islamic extremism, the Soviet Union only supercharged it.