The Afghani insurgency consisted of many of the same tribes and people now fighting the US and NATO.

After the Soviets withdrew the POWs were repatriated. A very few Soviet were repatriated, and a few more didn't go back, choosing to stay in Afghanistan. There may not have been more that 4. One of those says he converted to Islam, and was alllowed free run of the valley and village in which he was held. He now lives back in the Ukraine, but has kept his Afghani name.

There are about 300 Soviet MIAs, though, and many of those were taken prisoner.

In "Charlie Wilson's War", an intriguing account of a Congressman who early-on almost single-handedly got arms into the resistance, a book by Globe Press, there are a couple of descriptions of Soviet captives being brought around when there there Westerners in the area, either visiting or coordinating distribution of supplies. Their observations as to how te captives were treated are appalling. And very similar.

A couple of them, one a sergeant, who were brought into a camp at the same time there was a Western visitor. Apparently the Afghani who was dealing with the Westerner said the Soviet prisoners were "treated like concubines" (sodomized), sometimes for extended periods of time, then tortured to death.

Mean motor-scooters. Beyond understanding, really.

We were on their side in that conflict, they were on our side in ousting the Taleban, and now they are on their own sides. Afghanistan has never been a "nation" in the sense that most "nations" are.

Arf