"But do not forget that when US troops first moved into Afghan soil, it was to help the locals get the Sovietsoff their backs. Remember that?

Perhaps we should have let Afghanistan roll over and succumb to the occupation by the Soviets? WHatcha think?"

That doesn't quite tie in with my 'sense of history'

the time lines I understand go more like -

On September 27, 2001, the FBI released photos of the 19 hijackers, Fifteen were from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates, one from Egypt (Atta), and one from Lebanon

Osama bin Laden the founding leader of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda is himself a member of the prominent Saudi bin Laden family

After leaving college in 1979 bin Laden joined Abdullah Azzam to fight the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan   
Following the Soviet Union's withdrawal from Afghanistan in February 1989, Osama bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia in 1990 initially as a hero of jihad
He continued to speak publicly against the Saudi government for harbouring American troops, for which the Saudis banished him. He went to live in exile in Sudan, in 1992
In May 1996, under increasing pressure on Sudan, from Saudi Arabia and the United States, bin Laden returned to Jalalabad, Afghanistan

In 1998 however it was reported that bin Laden was operating his Al Qaeda network out of Albania. The Charleston Gazette quoted Fatos Klosi, the head of the Albanian intelligence service, as saying a network run by Saudi exile Osama bin Laden sent units to fight in the Serbian province of Kosovo. Confirmation of these activities came from Claude Kader, a French national who said he was a member of bin Laden's Albanian network.


Soviet-Afghan military cooperation had actually begun on a regular basis in 1956, and further agreements were made in the 1970s, which saw the USSR send advisers and specialists.
A final pre-war treaty, signed in December 1978, allowed the PDPA to call upon the Soviet Union for military support

The initial Soviet deployment of the 40th Army in Afghanistan began on December 24, 1979 under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. The final troop withdrawal started on May 15, 1988, and ended on February 15, 1989 under the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Due to the interminable nature of the war, the conflict in Afghanistan has often been referred to as the Soviets' Vietnam

In fact there was American involvement as the CIA covert aid to the Mujahadeen as early as July 3, 1979 but it wasn't until after 11 September 2001, U.S. interest in Afghanistan was renewed as it became apparent that Bin Laden was again based in Afghanistan and was supported by the Taliban government in Kabul

Following unsuccessful political attempts to force the Taliban government to expel Osama bin Ladin and his group, the United States began a bombing campaign on 7 October 2001, directed at Taliban military and political installations. By 13 November 2001 the Taliban government had fallen, and a U.S.–backed Afghan interim government was formed in December

So to sum up -

Soviets leave finally in February 15, 1989 American begins a bombing campaign on 7 October 2001, directed at Taliban military and political installations.

In fact I remember the date well as I was en route to Chania which is a Nato airport and was subjected to spending several hours in the airport in London instead

When US troops first moved into Afghan soil it was over a decade after the Soviet withdrawal and aimed at the previous anti-soviet ally the Taliban

Regarding the use of drones I would suggest reading the Hearing on The Rise of the Drones II: Examining the Legality of Unmanned Targeti

It's a little short on humour as was the 'joke'