The Long Shadow Of War: Reflecting On Iraq And Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq are two of the longest wars in American history. The war in Afghanistan lasted for 20 years, from 2001 to 2021, and the war in Iraq lasted from 2003 to 2011. Both wars were triggered by the September 11 attacks and involved US-led coalition forces. The war in Afghanistan was fought against the Taliban regime and al-Qaeda, while the war in Iraq was fought against the regime of Saddam Hussein. The invasion of Iraq was based on claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and was supporting al-Qaeda, but no evidence of these claims was found. The war in Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of about 2,400 US service members and the war in Iraq resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 US service members. Both wars caused significant civilian casualties and had a lasting impact on the region.

The September 11 attacks and the U.S.-British invasion

The September 11 attacks, also known as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, took place on September 11, 2001, and had a profound impact on the United States and the world. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the attacks, which marked a significant escalation of terrorist activity on US soil. In response to the attacks, US President George W. Bush declared a "War on Terror", stating that defeating terrorism was a global priority.

The 9/11 attacks served as a catalyst for the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, which began on October 7, 2001. American, British, and Afghan United Front (Northern Alliance) forces joined together to combat al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban regime that had provided safe harbour to the terrorist group. This invasion was justified under Operation Enduring Freedom, with the goal of destroying al-Qaeda and capturing its leader, Osama bin Laden, who was responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

The invasion of Afghanistan was not without criticism and concerns. The war lasted for 20 years, and during this time, Afghanistan experienced significant instability, with critics arguing that the conflict contributed to the destabilization of the region, particularly neighbouring Pakistan. By July 2021, NATO countries had fully withdrawn their troops, and the Taliban once again claimed control of Afghanistan.

In addition to Afghanistan, the aftermath of 9/11 also led to the US-British invasion of Iraq in 2003. President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair justified the invasion by citing the need to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and liberate the Iraqi people. However, it is important to note that UN inspections prior to the invasion found no evidence of the existence of WMDs in Iraq.

The Iraq War involved a significant number of coalition forces, with approximately 130,000 American soldiers and 45,000 British soldiers, among other contributing nations. Despite facing RPG attacks by irregular Iraqi forces, the US and UK forces successfully took control of Baghdad and Basra. The invasion of Iraq was met with anti-war protests worldwide and sparked debates about the rationale for the invasion and the presence of WMDs.

The hunt for Osama bin Laden

In the decade following his disappearance, there were many attempts made by the United States government to locate bin Laden. In December 2009, U.S. Army General Stanley McChrystal said that bin Laden would need to be "captured or killed" in order for the U.S. to "finally defeat al-Qaeda."

American intelligence officials discovered bin Laden's whereabouts by tracking one of his couriers. Information was collected from Guantánamo Bay detainees, who gave intelligence officers the courier's pseudonym as Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti. In 2009, U.S. officials discovered that al-Kuwaiti lived in Abbottabad, Pakistan. CIA paramilitary operatives located al-Kuwaiti in August 2010 and followed him back to the Abbottabad compound, which led them to speculate it was bin Laden's location.

On May 1, 2011, United States Navy SEALs of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group carried out an assault on the compound on orders from U.S. President Barack Obama. During a 40-minute raid, bin Laden was killed by a bullet above the left eye and another to the chest. The SEALs overpowered the compound's remaining residents, killing several, and extracted bin Laden's body (which was subsequently buried at sea) as well as computer hard drives, documents, and other material.

The death of Osama bin Laden was a significant blow to al-Qaeda, and it took place nearly a decade after his disappearance.

The U.S. troop surge and end of U.S. combat mission

The surge was accompanied by a change in tactics that brought U.S. forces already on the ground more in line with classic counterinsurgency strategy. The Sunni Awakening, a movement in which Sunni tribesmen who had formerly fought against U.S. troops realigned themselves to help counter other insurgents, was also a contributing factor to the decline in violence. In addition, the voluntary peace observed by Muqtada al-Sadr and his forces in August 2007 further contributed to the reduction in violence.

The surge in U.S. forces was also accompanied by a dramatic escalation of U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan, one of which killed Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud. The surge led to an increase in U.S. combat deaths, with the first three months of 2010 seeing approximately twice as many deaths as the same period in 2009.

In February 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama approved sending an additional 17,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan, on top of the 36,000 U.S. troops and 32,000 NATO service members already there. In December 2011, Obama announced an accelerated timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, with the number of troops to be reduced by as many as 30,000 within a year. The plan called for the complete withdrawal of combat forces by the end of 2014.

The rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a terrorist organisation that has exploited the conflict in Syria and sectarian tensions in Iraq to entrench itself in both countries. The group's stated goal is to solidify and expand its control of territory once ruled by early Muslim caliphs and to govern through the implementation of its strict interpretation of sharia.

ISIL was established in April 2004 by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who pledged his group's allegiance to Usama Bin Laden. The group targeted Coalition and Iraqi forces and civilians to pressure foreigners to leave Iraq, reduce Iraqi popular support for the US and Iraqi Government, and attract recruits.

The group suffered a series of setbacks starting in 2007, resulting from the combination of Sunni civilian resistance and a surge in Coalition and Iraqi Government operations against the group. However, ISIL rebounded in late 2011 after Coalition forces withdrew, amid growing Sunni discontent with the Shia-dominated Iraqi Government.

While gaining strength in Iraq, ISIL also expanded its presence in Syria and established al-Nusrah Front as a cover for its activities there. Disputes over the group's strategic direction in Syria led to conflict and ultimately ISIL's disavowal by al-Qa'ida in February 2014, setting the stage for ISIL's subsequent challenge to al-Qa'ida for leadership of the global extremist movement.

In June 2014, ISIL unilaterally declared the establishment of an Islamic caliphate and called on all Muslims to pledge allegiance to the group. Since then, ISIL has announced the establishment of eight provinces outside of Iraq and Syria, including in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Algeria, the Caucasus, Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, West Africa, and Yemen.

ISIL's vast territorial safe haven in Iraq and Syria, access to Western foreign fighters, and substantial financial resources pose a persistent and growing threat to the United States. Since September 2014, ISIL's leadership has issued multiple public calls for attacks against US and Western interests around the world.

ISIL is currently led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, also known as Abu Du'a. The group was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation on 17 December 2004.

The U.S. decision to withdraw troops

The decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan was a contentious issue in the United States for much of the 2000s. As the war progressed from its initial invasion phase in 2003 to a nearly decade-long occupation, American public opinion shifted towards favoring a troop withdrawal.

In 2008, the American and Iraqi governments signed the U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement. It included a specific date, 30 June 2009, by which American forces should withdraw from Iraqi cities, and a complete withdrawal date from Iraqi territory by 31 December 2011. On 14 December 2008, then-President George W. Bush signed the security agreement with Iraq.

In 2014, the advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from Syria to Iraq's western provinces prompted the U.S. to intervene again, alongside other militaries, to combat ISIL.

In 2019, Secretary Pompeo put the number of U.S. troops in Iraq at approximately 5,000. In early 2020, the Iraqi parliament voted to withdraw all remaining troops, and the Iraqi Prime Minister told the U.S. to start working on troop withdrawal.

In 2021, the U.S. completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, marking the end of the 2001–2021 war. The U.S. military departed the country on 30 August, a day ahead of schedule, ending a 20-year occupation and leaving Afghanistan in the Taliban's hands.

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