The Enduring War: America's Long Military Engagement In Afghanistan

The War in Afghanistan was the longest war in US history, lasting from 2001 to 2021. The conflict was sparked by the September 11 attacks, which were plotted by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden from Afghanistan, where he was being harboured by the Taliban. In the aftermath of the attacks, the US demanded that the Taliban hand over bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders, but the Taliban refused. The US and its allies subsequently invaded Afghanistan, quickly toppling the Taliban regime and forcing al-Qaeda to flee. However, the Taliban regrouped and launched an insurgency against the new Afghan government and coalition forces. The war resulted in a massive loss of life and displacement, with the conflict killing an estimated 176,000–212,000+ people and displacing millions more.

The US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001

The invasion was carried out by American, British, Canadian, and Australian forces, with other countries providing logistical support. The invasion targeted 31 sites across Afghanistan, including Taliban training camps and air defenses. The Northern Alliance, a coalition of anti-Taliban groups in Afghanistan, played a crucial role in the invasion by fighting alongside US and UK forces. Within two months of the invasion, the coalition forces had captured Kabul and toppled the Taliban regime, forcing them to retreat to rural areas and across the border to Pakistan.

The swift fall of the Taliban can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the Northern Alliance, bolstered by US military support, played a crucial role in driving the Taliban out of key cities like Mazar-i-Sharif, Kabul, and Kandahar. Additionally, the US and UK air strikes effectively destroyed most of the Taliban's outdated weapons and radar systems. Finally, the Taliban's refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden and their failure to shut down terrorist bases led to a united international front against them, with countries like Uzbekistan granting permission for US forces to operate from their territory.

Despite the rapid success of the invasion, most members of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban's leadership, including Osama bin Laden, escaped into Pakistan or retreated to remote regions within Afghanistan. This set the stage for the prolonged war that followed, as coalition forces struggled to root out the remaining Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters from the country.

The Taliban's resurgence in 2005

The Taliban resurgence in 2005 was part of a wider strategy to re-escalate the insurgency campaign that had been ongoing since 2003. The Taliban had been regrouping and re-organising since their initial defeat in 2001, and by 2005 they were ready to launch a full-scale offensive.

In 2005, the Taliban began to retake villages in the south of Afghanistan, where the government had failed to provide adequate support. The Taliban's resurgence was also aided by the fact that the US had begun to divert resources to the war in Iraq, which had started in 2003. The US military focus on Iraq meant that there were fewer resources available to combat the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The Taliban's resurgence was characterised by an increase in suicide bombings and buried bombs, which caused heavy casualties. The Taliban also began to burn down government schools and clinics.

In 2005, the Taliban leader Mullah Omar reorganised the movement and launched an insurgency against the government and ISAF (International Security Assistance Force). The Taliban's tactics became increasingly violent, with Mullah Dadullah introducing suicide bombing as a common tactic.

By 2006, the Taliban had retaken control of several districts in Afghanistan, and the number of insurgent attacks in the country had increased fourfold since 2002.

The US-Taliban peace talks in 2018

The Taliban, overthrown by a US-led military coalition in 2001, had long demanded the withdrawal of foreign troops to end what they called the "occupation" of Afghanistan. About 14,000 US troops and 17,000 troops from 39 NATO allies and partner countries remained in Afghanistan in a non-combative role. The Taliban insisted that it would not commit to anything until the US announced a withdrawal timeline and wanted the troops out of the country within months.

The US, on the other hand, sought to negotiate a ceasefire and the Taliban's engagement in intra-Afghan talks involving the Kabul government. However, the Taliban refused to negotiate directly with the Afghan government, referring to it as a "puppet regime". Despite these challenges, the talks in 2018 and subsequent rounds of negotiations made steady progress, and by June 2019, both sides said there was an understanding on the withdrawal, although the timeline and other technical details had not been finalized.

The peace talks between the US and the Taliban were complicated by the exclusion of the Afghan government, which criticized the negotiations and expressed concern about a lack of transparency. The intra-Afghan dialogue was a crucial aspect of the peace process, as it aimed to bring together the Taliban and the Afghan government to negotiate a political settlement. However, the Taliban's refusal to engage directly with the Afghan government posed a significant challenge to these efforts.

In conclusion, the US-Taliban peace talks in 2018 laid the groundwork for further negotiations and ultimately led to the signing of a conditional peace deal in February 2020. While the talks addressed key issues such as troop withdrawal and counterterrorism guarantees, the absence of the Afghan government and the ongoing violence in Afghanistan remained obstacles to a comprehensive and lasting peace agreement.

The US withdrawal in 2021

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 marked the end of America's longest war, spanning two decades. The withdrawal was initiated by President Joe Biden on May 1, 2021, with an initial deadline of September 11—a date carrying symbolic significance as the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. However, the withdrawal was negotiated by former President Donald Trump with the Taliban leaders in 2020. Trump had committed to a complete pullout by May 1, 2021, in exchange for the Taliban's agreement to sever ties with Al-Qaida and cease attacks on US forces.

The US withdrawal was not without chaos and controversy. In the final weeks leading up to the exit, the Taliban made rapid and shocking gains, seizing territories and capturing key installations, including the Bagram Airfield. This prompted President Biden to order additional troops to protect the airport perimeter and facilitate the evacuation of US Embassy staff and citizens. The evacuation efforts were marred by a terrorist attack outside the Kabul airport by the ISIS-K militant group, which resulted in the deaths of 13 US service members and dozens of Afghans.

The US military withdrawal was completed by August 31, 2021, with the last C-17 military transport flight carrying the top US diplomat in Afghanistan, Ross Wilson, and the commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division. The evacuation efforts airlifted over 122,000 people out of Kabul, but it was acknowledged that many Afghans who assisted the US and those at risk were left behind. The Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan raised concerns about the future of the country, particularly regarding human rights, women's rights, and the potential resurgence of terrorist groups.

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan sparked a range of reactions and debates. Critics of the withdrawal pointed to the Taliban's gains and questioned whether the Afghan security forces could maintain control. There were also concerns about the fate of Afghans who collaborated with the US and those at risk of Taliban retribution. Supporters of the withdrawal, including President Biden, argued that the US had achieved its primary military objectives against Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Biden asserted that the war had strayed from its initial mission and that it was no longer in America's strategic interest to remain in Afghanistan indefinitely.

The withdrawal also had geopolitical implications. Neighbouring countries, such as Iran, were alarmed by the Taliban's resurgence and the potential for Afghanistan to descend into civil war. There were fears that a destabilized Afghanistan could lead to an influx of refugees and empower extremist groups in the region. Additionally, the chaotic withdrawal damaged the credibility of the US and raised questions about its ability to build stable institutions in other countries.

The Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan in 2021

The Taliban's effective use of online social media helped convince Afghans that the Taliban would be successful in taking control of Afghanistan and that the government was illegitimate. They capitalised on intratribal, ethnic, religious, and ideological differences to win over people and exploit popular complaints against the government. The Taliban's messaging was particularly effective in the north of Afghanistan, where resistance to the Taliban had been strongest during the Afghan Civil War (1996-2001).

The Taliban's strategic choice to attack northern provinces may have been an attempt to prevent the creation of a second Northern Alliance. The Afghan government had not expected serious attacks in the north, and the Taliban took advantage of this element of surprise.

The Taliban's freedom of movement on the main Afghan highways was another factor in their swift takeover. The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) followed US military advice to concentrate their forces on urban centres, allowing the Taliban to take control of most of Afghanistan's main highways. This blocked ANSF supply and reinforcement lines and provided revenue for the Taliban, who taxed truck drivers.

The drop in US support for the ANSF also played a significant role in the Taliban's success. The February 2020 US-Taliban deal and changes in US support from April 2021 removed technical, proprietary software, and logistics support, particularly aerial support, from the ANSF. This made the US high-tech army model ineffective and left the ANSF dependent on helicopters, airstrikes, and technically specialised reconnaissance units.

Issues with Afghan forces, such as corruption, a lack of loyalty towards the central government, politicisation of the military, and salary payment management, also contributed to the Taliban's swift takeover.

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