The War in Afghanistan
The War in Afghanistan
A basic overview of the war in Afghanistan
After 9/11, President George W. Bush gave the rulers of Afghanistan an ultimatum: hand over the terrorists responsible for 9/11, or “share in their fate.” The Taliban—the Islamic fundamentalists who ruled the country—refused to surrender their ally, terrorist leader Osama bin-Laden. Air strikes began on 10/7/01, less than a month after 9/11.
American, British and other soldiers fought together with Afghans opposed to the Taliban. The goals: remove the Taliban from power, find bin-Laden and his lieutenants, and destroy his organization, known as Al-Qaeda.
Taliban forces fled from Kabul, the capital city, on 11/12/01, and retreated toward the mountainous border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. With U.S. support, a new government was installed, with Hamid Karzai as President.
The Taliban gradually rebuilt its fighting forces and carried out attacks against the new government and American soldiers.
Noting the Taliban’s growing strength and the difficulty of fighting an enemy hidden in remote caves and mountains, many observers said that the war was unwinnable. On 12/1/09, President Obama announced a new strategy: the rapid deployment of 30,000 additional troops, to break the Taliban’s momentum and turn the war around.
Despite slow progress, serious obstacles remain. President Karzai’s followers have been accused of brazen fraud in his 2009 reelection, further eroding support for his government among the Afghan people, who complain of widespread corruption. The Taliban has proven difficult to uproot. Nevertheless, after the assassination of Osama bin-Laden in May, 2011, President Obama announced he would accelerate the withdrawal of that American forces—reflecting, in part, America’s war-weariness and lingering economic woes. Pressure to pull U.S. troops out earlier than planned
Three separate incidents during the early months of 2012 inflamed Afghans against the American military. First, four
A basic overview of the war in Afghanistan
After 9/11, President George W. Bush gave the rulers of Afghanistan an ultimatum: hand over the terrorists responsible for 9/11, or “share in their fate.” The Taliban—the Islamic fundamentalists who ruled the country—refused to surrender their ally, terrorist leader Osama bin-Laden. Air strikes began on 10/7/01, less than a month after 9/11.
American, British and other soldiers fought together with Afghans opposed to the Taliban. The goals: remove the Taliban from power, find bin-Laden and his lieutenants, and destroy his organization, known as Al-Qaeda.
Taliban forces fled from Kabul, the capital city, on 11/12/01, and retreated toward the mountainous border of Afghanistan and Pakistan. With U.S. support, a new government was installed, with Hamid Karzai as President.
The Taliban gradually rebuilt its fighting forces and carried out attacks against the new government and American soldiers.
Noting the Taliban’s growing strength and the difficulty of fighting an enemy hidden in remote caves and mountains, many observers said that the war was unwinnable. On 12/1/09, President Obama announced a new strategy: the rapid deployment of 30,000 additional troops, to break the Taliban’s momentum and turn the war around.
Despite slow progress, serious obstacles remain. President Karzai’s followers have been accused of brazen fraud in his 2009 reelection, further eroding support for his government among the Afghan people, who complain of widespread corruption. The Taliban has proven difficult to uproot. Nevertheless, after the assassination of Osama bin-Laden in May, 2011, President Obama announced he would accelerate the withdrawal of that American forces—reflecting, in part, America’s war-weariness and lingering economic woes. Pressure to pull U.S. troops out earlier than planned
Three separate incidents during the early months of 2012 inflamed Afghans against the American military. First, four