Notes from my Superpower Interventionism class today:

[At the time of the Soviet business in Afghanistan] Egypt had turned its back on Soviet support, and was buying its arms from the US. It hence had a stockpile of Soviet weapons lying around, gathering dust. The CIA bought these weapons from the Egyptians, then channelled them through Pakistan, to the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan.

And then they denied all involvement.

"Have you found a single US weapon?" they asked, innocent-eyed.

"We rock!" the Mujahadeen boasted. "We captured all our weapons from the Soviets!"