Well, they weren't all against the Russians, since the regime the Russians were supporting actually had quite a lot going for it, especially if you were a woman or liked to have the odd drink, particularly in the wake of what came after:

"It was fine when the Russians were here," laughs Hawani, a former cobbler now commanding the airport defence unit against the Taliban on the other side of the runways. "The Taliban are pricks. When the Russians were here, we could drink if we wanted to. Now under the Taliban, if you drink you get your head cut off." (that's from the lead story in yesterday's Guardian (London)

Today's lead story is also about what's happening there in the north of Afghanistan.