The Trader by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0000000000000
Published: 2021-10-31T06:19:11+00:00

The family at Ballaison, France

CHAPTER 15

Egypt & Afghanistan

On December 24th, 1979 the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan in an endeavour to “prop up” Afghan’s Communist President Nor Tariki. Insurgent groups known as the Mujahedeen fought a long and ultimately successful guerrilla war against the invaders finally forcing the withdrawal of Soviet forces in early 1989.

The Mujahedeen were backed primarily by the USA, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan - it was de facto a proxy Cold War. The Mujahedeen began to receive massive amounts of aid and military equipment financed by the USA and Saudis. The CIA played a very important role in providing US military assistance to the Mujahedeen primarily channelled through Pakistan.

Iran, which shared a common border with Afghanistan, was totally preoccupied with its war with Iraq following the Iraqi invasion in September 1980 but by 1985 its relationship with the communist regime in Afghanistan had also deteriorated as Iranian Shia groups supported the Mujahedeen and by default became participants in driving out the Soviet forces.

In the mid 1980s, when Bill was first introduced to Randy Kreiling, the Soviet presence had grown to over 108,000 troops and the level of fighting was increasing. For the first time pitched battles were taking place and with each successful engagement the Mujahedeen were capturing large quantities of Soviet weapons, artillery and even tanks.

However the Mujahedeen had difficulty getting their hands on suitable ammunition to use in their captured weaponry as the Soviet troops were usually able to destroy ammunition stocks when they withdrew from their positions rather than permit them to fall into enemy hands. Their preoccupation and those of their American allies was to find the means to obtain suitable Soviet designed ammunition with which to utilise these captured heavy armaments.

America, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other Western allies were all equipped with NATO calibre armaments which were of no use for the captured Russian calibres. It became essential for Russian designed munitions to be sourced and secretly shipped into Afghanistan. Being landlocked the only option was to truck supplies over the border with Pakistan which was a logistics nightmare in every respect.

As it turned out Bill and Randy were ideally placed to participate in this potentially lucrative business. Randy was 6 years younger than Bill and also had experienced an extraordinary career or to be more accurate a series of careers.

Randall Kreiling was born and raised in Peoria, Illinois. A fine athlete, he played football, was a swimming and diving champion and won a national black belt at Karate. He attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas earning an honours degree in Economics followed by a law degree at SMU. By the age of 30 he was an internationally renowned commodities trader.

In Dallas he had met and married Helen Hunt - daughter of Nelson Bunker Hunt scion of Haroldson Lafayette Hunt owner of Hunt Oil who at the time of his death was one of America’s three richest men alongside Howard Hughes and Paul Getty at the time of his death.

Herbert, brother of

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