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*Amir reflects on the past history of Afghanistan
When Amir is taling with others he remembers Hassan and Ali." I remembered the night in 1973, the night Zahir Shah's cousin overthrew him; I remembered gunfire and the sky lighting up silver- Ali had taken me and Hassan in his arms, told us not to be afraid, that they were just shooting ducks."(365) Ali took care of Hassan and Amir and he loved them both equally. Afghanistan had many shootings and leaders that were uncapable of running a country. -
*Amir feels joy
Amir remembers a time of his life he felt the same hapiness." The last time I had felt a rush like this was that day in the winter of 1975, just after I had cut the last kire, when I spotted Baba on our rooftop, clapping, beaming."(370) Amir feels the same joy he felt when he had cut the last kite. After rescuing Sohrab, Amir feels happy when flying the kite. -
Arrival of the Soviets
The first arrival of the Soviet troops were on December 27,1989. "The first Soviet troops parachutedinto Kabul on Dec. 27, 1979, to assist Babrak Karmal, who had become president in a coup within the Afghan Communist leadership" (2) -
*US boycotting the olympics
Amir talks about Baba's hate towards Jimmy Carter. "In 1980, when we were still in Kabul, the U.S. announced it would be boycotting the Olympic Games in Moscow."(126) Baba is deeply influenced that Jimmy Carter helped communism grow. This influenced his life in America and his decisions and actions. -
*Russians in Afghanistan
Amir and Baba move and leave everything to go to Pakistan." This had to be a dream. Had to be. Tomorrow morning, I'd wake up, peek out the window: No grim-faced Russian soldiers patrolling the sidewalks, no tanks rolling up and down the streets of my city, their turrets swiveling like accusing fingers..."(113) Amir can't imagine that the fate of their city has resulted to being controled by the Russian government. The Russians changed the way they lived and caused them to leave. -
*Baba's House
Rahim Khan is sold Baba's house after Amir and Baba fled to Kabul, and he has been living their ever since." He told me that, as arranged between Baba and him,he had lived in Baba's house since 1981-- this I knew about."(199) Baba trusted his house in Kabul with his business partner Rahim Khan. Baba and Amir fled after Afghanistan's mass violence, in hope for a better life. -
*Amir's first novel
After Baba's death, Amir begins to pursue his dream on completing a novel. " In the summer of 1988, about six months before the soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, I finished my first novel, a father-son story set in Kabul, written mostly with the typewriter the general had given me."(182) Amir has accomplished one of his biggest dreams of writing a novel. He has achieved his dream and is living a happy life with Soraya. Amir is more confident with his decisions after Baba passed. -
Departure of Soviets
The quote,"Eventually, after peace talks moderated by the United Nations, the last Soviet troops left Afghanistan in February 1989, in what was in effect an unilateral withdrawal."(2), illustrates why and when the soviets left. -
*Publication of Amir's Book
Amir gains popularity in Afghan after his book was published." The novel was released in the summer of that following year, 1989, and the publisher sent me on a five-city book tour. I became a minor celebrity in the Afghan community."(183) Amir has become more confiden and brave after completing his book. His dream has been fulfilled and he was finally happy with his life decisions. -
*Farzana is pregnant
Hassan's wife, Farzana, is pregnant again and gives birth to Sohrab. Hassan's mother also arrives at Baba's house ."In early 1990, Farzana became pregnant again. It was that same year, in the middle of the summer, that a woman covered in a sky blue burqa knocked on the front gates one morning."(209) Farzana gives birth to Sohrab and Sanaubar arrives at Baba's house. Amir is involved with Sohrab's life after Hassan passed away. -
*Northern Alliance
In Kabul the northern alliance took over and brought destruction. " Rahim Khan told me how, when the Northern Alliance took over Kabul between 1992 and 1996, different factions claimed different parts of Kabul"(199) The Northern Alliance separated Kabul into different factions. This created a higher risk for people to get shot or blown up in Kabul. Afghanistan has turned more dangeruse making more people to flee from the country. -
Afghanistan's power struggle
The departure of the Soviets led to a division in power."After Soviet forces departed, Afghanistan descended into vicious internecine strife; by the summer of 1994, power was anarchically divided among competing warlords and individual fiefdoms. But one group would eventually gain control."(4) -
Mullah Omar's popularity
Mulla Omar gained followers by the end of 1994. "By the end of 1994 Mullah Omar had nearly 12,000 followers and was rolling up the warlords to the north and east"(2) -
Mr.Bin Laden's arrival
The taliban supported in laden's arrival."TheTaiban also provided a haven for Mr.bin Laden, who arrived by chartered jet at Jalalabad Airport in May 1996, and for Al Qaeda."(3) -
Taliban takes control of Afghanistan
In 1996, the Taliban takes control of Afghanistan. "Buoyed by Pakistani aid, the Taliban by 1996 had taken control of Afghanistan, imposing strict enforcement of fundamenyalist Islamic law, banning movies and music and forcing women out of schools and into all-enveloping burqa clothing."(3) -
*Taliban ends fighting
Rahim Khan celebrates the Taliban taking over, while Hassan feels unhappy about the Taliban."I told you how we all celebrated in 1996 when the Taliban rolled in and put an end to the daily fighting...I asked him what was wrong, and he just shook his head,"God help the Hazaras now, Rahim Khan sahib,"he said"(213) While everyone is celebrating the Taliban taking over, Hassan believes that the Hazaras are doomed. The Hazaras need God after the Taliban took over. -
*Assef killing people
Amir visits Assef to get Sohrab and Assef tells him about him killing people." Door to Door we went, calling for the men and boys.We'd shoot them right there in front of their families.."(277) Assef remembers the day when he killed men and children in front of their families. He wanted to prove he was more superior to Amir by sharing the time he killed people. -
*Rahim Khan talks about the Ghazi Stadium
Rahim Khan discusses a situation he endured in the Ghazi Stadium during a soccer stadium. ":I was at a soccer game in Ghazi Stadium in 1998...Suddenly this young bearded felloe who was patrolling the aisles, eighteen years old at most by the look of him, he walked up to me and struck me on the forehead with the butt of his Kalashnikov..."(198,199) Rahim Khan tells Amir about him being hurt during a simple soccer game. Afghanistan has mass violence and after Amir left with his father. -
*Taliban kills Hazaras
Hassan is correct about the Taliban killing the Hazaras and not benefiting anyone." A few weeks later, the Taliban banned kite fighting. and two years later, in 1998, they massacred the Hazaras in Mazar-i-Sharif."(213) Many believed that the Taliban would help them end the fighting in Afghanistan. The celebration of the Taliban was over after they began killing Hazaras. -
*Amir Receives a Call from Rahim Khan
In the summer of 2001, Amir gets a call from Rahim Khan to visit him in Afghanistan and tells Soraya about their relationship." We used to beclose," I said."When I was a kid, he was the first grown-up I ever thought of as a friend..."(191) Rahim Khan calls Amir and invites him to Afghanistan to Baba's house to discuss about Hassan. This is important to Amir because of his close bond with Rahim Khan. -
*Amir and Sohrab arriving home
Finally, Amir and Sohrab arrive successfully in America. "We arrived home about seven months ago, on a warm day in August 2001."(357) After many months in Afghanistan, Sohrab is safe in America with Amir and Soraya. Amir successfully brought Sohrab over without anymore complications. -
Aftermath of the Attack on the Word Trade Center
The aftermath of the attack on 9/11 was political and economical." After the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush gave the Taliban an ultimatum to hand over Mr.bin Laden."(3) -
Hamid Karzai's title
Hamid Karzai was elected and named the chairman of the Karzai government. "In December 2001, Hamid Karzai, a supporter and relative of Mohammad Zahir Shah, th exiled former king of Afghanistan, was named the charman of an interim government that replaced the defeated Taliban, makig him the leader of the country."(3) -
Obama's speech
Obama's speech announced that he would be sending more troops out." In a speech delivered Dec. 1, 2009, at West Point, Mr.Obama announced his plan to deploy 30,000 additional troops"(4) -
Bringing American Forces Home
Obama promises to bring American forces home from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011." He vowed to start bringing American forces home from Afghanistan in the middle of 2011, saying the United States could not afford and should not have to shoulder an open-ended commitment."(4)