A Coalition Of Countries: The Many Participants In The Afghanistan War

The War in Afghanistan was an international conflict that began in 2001 and ended in 2021. It was triggered by the September 11 attacks, and consisted of three phases. The first phase was to topple the Taliban regime, which was an ultraconservative political and religious faction that ruled Afghanistan and provided sanctuary for al-Qaeda, the perpetrators of the September 11 attacks. The second phase, from 2002 until 2008, was marked by a U.S. strategy of defeating the Taliban militarily and rebuilding core institutions of the Afghan state. The third phase, a turn to classic counterinsurgency doctrine, began in 2008 and accelerated with U.S. President Barack Obama’s 2009 decision to temporarily increase the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan. The war involved an international coalition led by the USA, with British forces also playing a significant role. At the height of the conflict, there were more than 130,000 NATO troops on the ground.

The US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001

The US-led coalition began air strikes on Afghanistan on October 7, 2001, marking the start of Operation Enduring Freedom. The coalition consisted of American, British, Canadian, and Australian forces, with other countries providing logistical support. The invasion was supported by the Northern Alliance, an anti-Taliban coalition in Afghanistan.

The Taliban regime was removed from power, and a new government was formed. The Taliban retreated from their strongholds in Mazar-e-Sharif, Kandahar, and Kabul, and by November 13, the Northern Alliance had marched into Kabul. The Taliban's spiritual home, Kandahar, fell on December 6, marking the end of Taliban power.

The US-led invasion was part of a broader strategy to dismantle Al-Qaeda and deny Islamist militants a base of operations in Afghanistan. The invasion was also intended to prevent the Northern Alliance from taking control of Afghanistan, as the US believed their rule would alienate the country's Pashtun majority.

The invasion was a military success, with relatively few US casualties. However, most members of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban were not captured, and bin Laden escaped to Pakistan. The US-led coalition remained in Afghanistan to support the new government and prevent the Taliban from returning to power.

The Taliban's resurgence

The US-led coalition remained in Afghanistan, forming a security mission with the goal of creating a new democratic authority in the country that would prevent the Taliban from returning to power. A new Afghan Interim Administration was established, and international rebuilding efforts were launched.

By 2003, the Taliban had reorganised under their founder, Mullah Omar, and began a widespread insurgency against the new Afghan government and coalition forces. Insurgents from the Taliban and other Islamist groups waged asymmetric warfare, fighting with guerrilla warfare in the countryside, suicide attacks against urban targets, and reprisals against perceived Afghan collaborators.

By 2007, large parts of Afghanistan had been retaken by the Taliban, and the coalition sent a major influx of troops for counter-insurgency operations. However, the Taliban continued to gain strength and, by 2010, had as many as 25,000 dedicated soldiers.

In 2011, the US killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, and NATO leaders began planning an exit strategy from Afghanistan. In 2014, NATO formally ended its combat operations in Afghanistan and officially transferred security responsibility to the Afghan government. However, the Afghan government was unable to eliminate the Taliban through military means, and coalition forces turned to diplomacy to end the conflict.

In 2020, the US and the Taliban signed a peace agreement that stipulated the withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan by 2021 in exchange for the Taliban's pledge to prevent any militant group from staging attacks from Afghan territory against the US and its allies. However, the Afghan government was not a party to the deal and rejected its terms.

Coinciding with the withdrawal of US and NATO troops, the Taliban launched a broad offensive throughout the summer of 2021, successfully re-establishing their control over Afghanistan, including the capital city of Kabul. This marked the end of America's longest war and the Taliban's resurgence after two decades of conflict.

The US-Taliban deal

The agreement addressed four main issues:

• Ceasefire: Negotiators agreed to a temporary reduction in violence and said that a lasting ceasefire among U.S., Taliban, and Afghan forces would be part of intra-Afghan negotiations.
• Withdrawal of foreign forces: The United States agreed to reduce its troops in Afghanistan from 12,000 to 8,600 within 135 days. If the Taliban followed through on its commitments, all U.S. and other foreign troops would leave Afghanistan within fourteen months.
• Intra-Afghan negotiations: The Taliban agreed to start talks with the Afghan government in March 2020. The Taliban had previously resisted direct talks with the Afghan government, calling it an American puppet.
• Counterterrorism assurances: The Taliban guaranteed that Afghanistan would not be used by any of its members or terrorist groups to threaten the security of the United States and its allies.

The agreement was not a final peace deal and was filled with ambiguity. It was designed to be a stepping stone to a comprehensive settlement of the conflict and not a replacement for an Afghan agreement. The Afghan government was excluded from the deal, and there were concerns that the U.S. troops' withdrawal could destabilize the region.

The deal faced many challenges and obstacles, including the weak Afghan government, objections from outside countries, and continued Taliban violence. There were also concerns about protecting women's rights, as the Taliban had previously banned girls from schools and prevented women from working.

Despite these challenges, the agreement paved the way for a full U.S. withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and the start of intra-Afghan talks on a political settlement of the conflict.

The fall of Kabul

In the months leading up to the fall, US intelligence estimated that Kabul would remain under government control for at least six months after the withdrawal of US troops. However, beginning in May 2021, the Taliban launched a major offensive and rapidly captured most of Afghanistan's provinces. During this period, projections for the longevity of the Afghan government declined significantly.

The day before the fall, the Taliban instructed its forces to halt their advance at the gates of Kabul and not seize the city by force. However, locals reported that Taliban fighters were advancing into urban areas despite the orders. The insurgents captured the Pul-e-Charkhi prison and released all inmates, including Islamic State and Al-Qaeda militants. The Afghan Interior Ministry announced that Ghani would relinquish power, and an interim government led by the Taliban would be formed.

The fall of the city had a profound impact on its residents, particularly women. Women's rights and freedoms were severely restricted, and female-owned businesses were shut down. Many women destroyed evidence of their western or government links, and those who had worked for the government or with international organisations destroyed their IDs to avoid being targeted by the Taliban.

The US withdrawal

In April 2021, the Biden administration decided to pull out all US troops by September 2021 without leaving a residual force. This was followed by a Taliban offensive in May 2021, which led to the fall of Kabul on 15 August 2021. The US embassy suspended operations, and the last US military planes left Afghanistan on 30 August 2021, marking the end of the US's longest war.

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