The Soviet military invaded Afghanistan on December 25, 1979, a move which was not expected by the U.S. intelligence community. Representative Dick “Cheney [R-WY] made a mental note of the intelligence failure and backed the decision of the Carter administration to arm the rebels, whom he regarded as ‘a tough and able people who want to fight for their country.’ Arming the mujahideen, Cheney said [in an interview on April 17, 1980], is ‘the best way to make Russia pay, and it will also keep them tied down so that they cannot move into Iran.’ ”
– Stephen F. Hayes, Cheney, Page 146