Soviet–Afghan War  

"The hippie trail came to an end in the late 1970s with political changes in previously hospitable countries. In 1979, both the Iranian Revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan closed the overland route to Western travelers." --Sholem Stein

"The Afghanistan war generated an extensive network of informal and underground groups of veterans who have shown up fighting for Muslim or Islamist causes in Algeria, Chechnya, Egypt, Tunisia, Bosnia, Palestine, the Philippines, and elsewhere. After the war their ranks were renewed with fighters trained at the University of Dawa and Jihad outside Peshawar and in camps sponsored by various factions and their foreign backers in Afghanistan."--Clash of Civilizations

"and countless Russian/Ukranian soldiers were killed in the Afghan War. ... on the armless and legless Ukrainian recruits who, having been abandoned by ..." --The Rage and the Pride, page 86, Oriana Fallaci

"In the 19th century, the United Kingdom was fearful that Russia would invade Afghanistan and use it to threaten the large British holdings in India. This regional rivalry was called the 'Great Game'. In 1885, Russian forces seized a disputed oasis south of the Oxus River from Afghan forces, which became known as the Panjdeh Incident and threatened war. The border was agreed by the joint Anglo-Russian Afghan Boundary Commission of 1885–87. The Russian interest in the region continued on through the Soviet era, with billions in economic and military aid sent to Afghanistan between 1955 and 1978."--Sholem Stein