• Listen to this segment

• Listen to the entire program

Thirty years ago today the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and sparked what was to be a 10 year-bloody occupation, claiming the lives of 10,000 Soviet soldiers, and more than a million Afghans. Often referred to as the USSR’s “Vietnam,” it served as a a sober lesson to many Russians, and, today also being the 3000th day of the US war in Afghanistan, the Soviet occupation offers a warning to the this country. In fact the Russian ambassador to Afghanistan, Andrey Avetisyan articulated a warning in an interview to the German Press this week, saying that Afghanistan was not like World War II. Now, one of President Barack Obama’s most vocal critics on the topic of the Afghanistan War, Congressman Eric Massa is calling for an up or down vote on the escalation of the war in the House of Representatives. Congressman Massa, a Democrat from New York is a 24 year retired military officer and former special assistant to the then Supreme Commander of NATO, General Wesley Clark. A month and a half ago he publicly spoke out on the floor of the House and formally called for an end to the US war in Afghanistan. PLAY TRACK.

GUEST: Congressman Eric Massa (D-NY)

Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the start of the Soviet war of Afghanistan, Brave New Films has put together a video looking back at that occupation and the lessons pertaining to the United States. Watch the video here:

Read Congressman Massa’s letter about Afghanistan here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-eric-jj-massa/christmas-eve-is-the-3000_b_402074.html

MASSA CUT:
Rep Eric Massa in early November calling for an immediate end to the US occupation of Afghanistan on the floor of the House of Representatives.

CUT FROM BRAVE NEW FILMS: THE SOVIET LESSON NOT LEARNED
first hear the voice of a Russian man who was a journalist during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. We also hear the voice of Matthew Hoh, the highest ranking state department official who publicly resigned over the Afghanistan war. We also hear Mikhail Gorbachev and others.