Pakistan Falsely Claims Ronald Reagan Likened Mujahidin to 'Founding Fathers'
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan incorrectly stated on Friday that former U.S. President Ronald Reagan compared the Afghan Mujahidin to the “Founding Fathers” of the U.S. while hosting some of the group’s leaders at the White House in 1983.
“President Ronald Regan invited them to the White House in 1983. And according to a news item, he compared them to the founding fathers of the United States. They were heroes,” Khan said in a pre-recorded speech presented at the 76th session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York City on September 24.
Khan made the statement while recalling the history of both Pakistan and the U.S. government’s involvement in Afghanistan, which was overtaken by the Taliban on August 15.
“In the 1980s, Pakistan was a front-line state in fighting against the occupation of Afghanistan,” Khan said. He referred to the occupation of the country by the Soviet Union, which invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, sparking the Soviet-Afghan War, which lasted through 1989.
“Pakistan and the United States trained Mujahideen groups to fight for the liberation of Afghanistan. Amongst those Mujahideen groups was Al Qaeda, various groups from all over the world. There were Mujahideen, Afghan Mujahideen. These were considered heroes,” the Pakistani leader continued.
