8 Years of Afghanistan in 3 Minutes
Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, was the unfortunate site of a car bombing last night, killing at least a dozen people and leaving many injured. Almost eight years ago to the day, the United States led an invasion in Kabul to destroy the Taliban. Since then, not a week goes by without a headline about U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. If you have avoided stories about war this past decade, guest Dinner Topics contributor Brian Kessler submitted a quick and informative synopsis and everything you’ve been missing. Read the following paragraphs and you’ll finally understand the basics of everything surrounding the U.S. and Afghanistan.
Wondering how the US became involved in a war with Afghanistan?
The United States entered into military conflict with the then-ruling Taliban regime of Afghanistan in direct response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City and the Pentagon.
Afghanistan had been hosting Osama Bin Laden (OBL) after he was expelled by the Sudanese government due to mounting international pressure in 1996. In Afghanistan, OBL built his terror network and planned the September 11 attacks.
Shortly after September 11, President Bush issued an ultimatum to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan:
“Hand over the terrorists, or share their fate.”1
When the Taliban would not hand OBL directly to U.S. authorities, the U.S. started a military campaign dubbed Operation Enduring Freedom. The first U.S. boots on the ground were CIA operatives (followed shortly by U.S. Special Forces) charged with the task of getting local war lords to ally with the U.S. and the Northern Alliance – the Taliban’s main opposition in their long civil war.
Bombing started October 7, 2001 and quickly allowed the Northern Alliance to gain the upper hand against the Taliban. By November 12, 2001 the Taliban was driven from Kabul, giving the Northern Alliance and the U.S. coalition troops a relatively quick victory. Many of the Taliban fled to the mountainous region on the Afghan/Pakistan border to recoup.
After the Taliban was driven from power, elections were held in Afghanistan installing a new government. To date the Taliban is not totally destroyed; some say they are stronger than they have been at any point in the last eight years. They are now waging an insurgent war against the U.S. and coalition troops who now number around 120,000. With the resurgence of the Taliban, increased attacks on coalition troops, and mounting deaths on both sides, there seems to be no end in sight to this war. To date 804 troops have been killed in action in Afghanistan.2
Read on:
NYTimes.com – 17 Die in Kabul Bomb Attack Near Indian Embassy
NYTimes.com – letters to the editor regarding 8 years of the Afghan War
Yahoo! News – Eight years: Obama, war council weigh Afghan shift
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