PHOTO,,James Rupert; PHOTO,,Afp; PHOTO,,Leo Cooper; INFO-GRAPHIC,,John Anderson CAPTION: Monitoring the pipeline: CIA officers in Afghan garb stood with rebels as covert arms shipment was trucked to Afghan border post in 1984. CAPTION: Taking aim: Afghan rebel, left, aims a high-technology Stinger antiaircraft missile skyward. CAPTION: Pakistani point man: A book by Pakistani Gen. [Mohammed Yousaf] details the covert U.S. war effort. CAPTION: Dec. 1979: Soviets invade Afghanistan to prop up a Marxist government that is collapsing under a popular rebellion. Moscow believes it can win a quick victory against poorly armed guerrillas. 1980: The [Jimmy Carter] administration quietly offers light arms, many bought from China, to help Afghan rebels "harrass"Soviet forces; China and Saudi Arabia chip in, and Pakistan handles direct contact with the rebels. 1984: Soviets, frustrated at years of costly stalemate, decide to try winning the war within two years using helicopter assaults. In October, CIA Director [William Casey] asks Pakistan to help U.S. promote subversion, through Afghanistan, in the Soviet Muslim republics. 1985: New Soviet leader [Mikhail Gorbachev] agrees to Soviet escalation, sends Gen. [Mikhail Zaitsev] to supervise it. [Reagan] administration decides to seek defeat of Soviets, send high-tech weapons rebels. 1986: In January, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) goes to China and Pakistan, wins their support for supply of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. Stingers arrive in the summer and begin downing the assault helicopters key to Soviet strategy. 1988: With the war still a costly quagmire, Moscow agrees to pull out. In April, Afghanistan and Pakistan sign U.N.-sponsored accord including Soviet forces' departure. 1989: In February, Moscow pulls out the last of its estimated 115,000 Soviet troops but continues key supplies of money, food, gas and weapons. Rebels remain fractious, fail to form a cohesive alternative government or to capture any key Afghan cities. 1991: As the Soviet Union collapses, Moscow ends financial support of Najibullah's government. It agrees with United States to halt the two nations' arms shipments to Afghanistan by Jan. 1992 and to cooperate with a U.N. plan for a new government there. 1992: In March, Najibullah agrees to transfer power to a U.N.-sponsored interim government and defections accelerate. In April, rebels take capital continue infighting while trying to establish a government. SOURCES: News reports; Pakistani, U.S., Western intelligence officials