With the failure of the communist hardliners to take over the Soviet government in August 1991, Mohammad Najibullah's supporters in the Soviet Army lost their power to dictate Afghan policy. The effect was immediate. On September 13, the Russian government, now dominated by Boris Yeltsin, agreed with the United States on a mutual cut off of military aid to both sides in the Afghan civil war. It was to begin January 1, 1992.Robert O. Freedman, "Russian policy toward the Middle East: the Yeltsin legacy and the Putin challenge." Middle East Journal (2001): 58-90 online.
