AHC: No Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

Someone else other than Brezhnev becomes the Soviet premier by the time the USSR is helping the Afghan communist government, or have the Afghan communists not be so heavyhanded in their dealings with the mullahs.
 
There are many reasons for the invasion other than expansion:
1- America lost its place in Iran and might go for Afghanistan
2- Hafizullah Amin and Babrak Karmal (both communists) began hostilities with each other after the expelling the shah
3- They saw that Amin's reforms might lead to civil war
4- Many nations (Uzbeks, Tajiks, Turkmen... etc) lived on both sides of the border. Any unrest there would pass the borders as well
5- They suspected that Amin was CIA agent
6- After they put Karmal, they sent troops to support him

If they looked the other way, civil war will occur in Afghanistan and will cross to their grounds. By this, not only they'll lose Afghanistan, but all of Central Asia with it
 
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Someone else other than Brezhnev becomes the Soviet premier by the time the USSR is helping the Afghan communist government, or have the Afghan communists not be so heavyhanded in their dealings with the mullahs.
It has to be the latter rather than the former. Pretty much any Soviet government would be willing to provide assistance to Afghanistan, and once they do anyone with a shred of common sense could see the communist Afghan government needed replacing since they're actions are directly escalating the war.
 
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