Weapons Of War: The Afghan Civil Strife And Presidential Decisions

The US has been involved in the Afghanistan War since 2001, when the country was invaded by US and British forces. The war was triggered by the September 11 attacks, and the US's aim was to topple the Taliban and dismantle al-Qaeda. The US has had a continuous presence in Afghanistan since then, with four US presidents overseeing the conflict. In 2001, President George W. Bush launched Operation Enduring Freedom, an offensive in Afghanistan intended to destroy al-Qaeda and defeat the Taliban. The US war in Afghanistan is the country's longest war, and it has cost over a trillion dollars.

The US and UK launched airstrikes against targets in Afghanistan in 2001

On October 7, 2001, the US and UK launched airstrikes against targets in Afghanistan, marking the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom. The airstrikes were part of a military campaign to topple the Taliban regime and destroy al-Qaeda, the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks.

The airstrikes were carried out by bombers operating out of Diego Garcia, fighter aircraft launched from naval carriers in the Arabian Sea, and bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. These initial airstrikes targeted Taliban airfields, command-and-control facilities, and al-Qaeda training camps.

The US-led campaign made rapid progress, and by December 2001, the Taliban had been removed from power, and an interim government was formed. However, most members of al-Qaeda and the Taliban had not been captured, and Osama bin Laden had escaped into neighbouring Pakistan.

The US-led coalition continued to conduct airstrikes in Afghanistan over the next several years, though at a reduced tempo. The number of strikes and bombs dropped during this period is unknown, as comprehensive data has not been made publicly available.

The war in Afghanistan lasted for 20 years and resulted in heavy casualties on all sides. The conflict ended in August 2021 with the Taliban retaking control of the country following the withdrawal of US and NATO troops.

The Mujahadeen received arms from the US, UK, and China via Pakistan

The Mujahideen, a guerrilla movement created to battle the Soviet-backed government in Afghanistan, received arms from the US, UK, and China via Pakistan. The US and UK were involved in the supply of arms to the Mujahideen as part of Operation Cyclone, a CIA program to arm and finance the Mujahideen in Afghanistan from 1979 to 1992. The program was one of the longest and most expensive covert CIA operations ever undertaken, costing US taxpayers around $3 billion.

The US began supplying arms to the Mujahideen in 1979, before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The US provided the Mujahideen with non-military assistance, such as cash, medical equipment, and radio transmitters. In late 1979, the US amended its presidential finding to include lethal provisions, and in January 1980, the Mujahideen received their first shipment of US-supplied arms. The US supplied the Mujahideen with antique British Lee-Enfield rifles, and later with FIM-92 Stinger surface-to-air missiles, which allowed the Mujahideen to effectively defend against Soviet helicopter landings in strategic areas.

The UK's MI6 supported one of the hardline Islamic groups commanded by Ahmad Shah Massoud, who they saw as an effective fighter. The UK supplied the Mujahideen with old British army Lee-Enfield rifles, Limpet mines, explosives, radios, intelligence, and around fifty Blowpipe Missile launchers with 300 missiles.

China also supplied arms to the Mujahideen. China provided 70% of weapons to Pakistan, which then supplied them to the Mujahideen.

The US and UK invaded Afghanistan in 2001, overthrowing the Taliban

The US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, which overthrew the Taliban, was a response to the September 11 attacks. The Taliban had refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, who was responsible for the attacks.

The US-led coalition began attacks on Afghanistan on October 7, 2001, with an intense bombing campaign by American and British forces. The invasion was dubbed Operation Enduring Freedom and was intended to target Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda organisation and the Taliban government, which had ruled most of the country since 1996 and supported al-Qaeda.

The US and UK were joined by other nations, including France, Germany, Australia and Canada, and later, troops were provided by the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance rebels. The invasion was the opening salvo in the United States' "war on terror".

The air campaign softened Taliban defences, and the coalition began a ground invasion, with Northern Alliance forces providing most of the troops and the US and other nations giving air and ground support. On November 12, a little over a month after the military action began, Taliban officials and their forces retreated from the capital of Kabul. By early December, Kandahar, the last Taliban stronghold, had fallen and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar went into hiding.

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. However, the Taliban regrouped and began a widespread insurgency against the new Afghan government and coalition forces.

The US-led war in Afghanistan lasted 20 years and became the longest war in US history.

The US spent over a trillion dollars on the war in Afghanistan

The US spent trillions of dollars on the war in Afghanistan. The exact amount is hard to pinpoint, but estimates range from $2 trillion to $5.8 trillion. This money was spent on various aspects of the war, including military operations, reconstruction efforts, counternarcotics initiatives, and veteran care.

The war in Afghanistan lasted nearly 20 years, from 2001 until 2021, and involved a significant amount of US financial resources. The bulk of the spending went towards military operations and was allocated to the Department of Defense's Overseas Contingency Operations budget. This included funding for training, fuel, armoured vehicles, facilities, and transportation.

In addition to direct military spending, the US also appropriated funds for Afghan reconstruction. This included efforts to build Afghanistan's security forces, improve governance, aid economic and social development, and combat illicit drugs. However, these reconstruction efforts faced challenges due to poor monitoring, evaluation, and corruption.

Another significant cost was the interest on the borrowed money used to fund the war. The US government borrowed heavily to finance the war, and the interest payments on this debt amounted to hundreds of billions of dollars.

Furthermore, the US also incurred costs related to veteran care and disability for those who served in the war. These costs are ongoing and will continue for decades.

The war in Afghanistan resulted in massive expenditures, and the final cost is yet to be fully determined as there are future obligations and long-term impacts to consider.

The US trained and equipped an Afghan military force of 300,000

The US spent over a trillion dollars on training and equipping an Afghan military force of 300,000. This force was better equipped than the militaries of many NATO allies. However, experts have questioned the accuracy of this figure, suggesting that it significantly overstated the number of Afghans who were available to fight.

The 300,000 figure includes both the military and the police. Experts have pointed out that it is misleading to count police as troops, as they were not sufficiently trained or equipped to fight Taliban forces. The Afghan police report to the Interior Ministry, not the Defense Ministry, and are responsible for guarding the border, staffing security checkpoints, and holding territory cleared of insurgents.

The Afghan military force was also plagued by high turnover, with a quarter of the force replaced annually. Many positions were either vacant or filled by legitimate employees who were not ready for battle. The Afghan military also suffered from a lack of motivation and a corrupt chain of command that preyed upon its soldiers.

The US military pushed to rapidly expand the size of the Afghan security forces from 200,000 to 350,000. Recruits were rushed through boot camp, even if they couldn't shoot or perform other basic tasks. As a result, the Afghan military was unable to maintain and operate some of the key equipment provided by the US, including planes and land vehicles.

In addition, the Afghan military suffered from a lack of education, with only 2-5% of recruits able to read at a third-grade level. This made it difficult for them to perform basic tasks such as ordering spare parts or reading maps.

Despite these challenges, the US continued to insist that the Afghan military was improving and was capable of defending the country. However, the sudden collapse of the Afghan military in the face of the Taliban offensive demonstrated that this was not the case.

Frequently asked questions