The Enduring Conflict: Afghanistan's Longest War

The War in Afghanistan was an armed conflict that lasted from 2001 to 2021, making it the longest war in US military history. It was a response to the September 11 attacks, orchestrated by Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, who were operating from Afghanistan, which was under the control of the Taliban.

In the aftermath of the attacks, President George W. Bush demanded that the Taliban hand over Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders to the US. When the Taliban refused, the US and its allies launched Operation Enduring Freedom, an airstrike campaign against al-Qaeda and Taliban targets. Ground forces soon followed, and the US quickly overtook Taliban strongholds, including the capital city of Kabul, by mid-November.

However, the focus of the US military soon shifted to Iraq, allowing the Taliban to regroup and escalate attacks. In 2009, President Barack Obama pledged to send an extra 17,000 US troops to Afghanistan, and American troops reached a peak of approximately 110,000 soldiers in the country in 2011. In 2014, NATO transitioned control to Afghan forces, and Obama announced a new timeline for troop withdrawal.

In 2015, the Taliban continued to increase its attacks, and the US entered peace talks with the group in 2019. A deal was reached that included the US and its allies pledging a total withdrawal within 14 months if the Taliban vowed not to harbour terrorist groups. However, the Taliban continued to escalate its terrorist attacks, and by 2021, they had retaken most of the country, including Kabul. The Afghanistan government collapsed, and the US completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, ending America's longest war.

The Taliban's rise to power

The Taliban, which literally translates to “students” or “seekers”, was founded in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar by graduates of Pakistani religious colleges. Their primary aims were to end the political chaos that had been ongoing in Afghanistan since the Soviet withdrawal in 1989 and to impose a strict interpretation of Islam.

The downfall of the Soviet-backed government

The Soviet Union's withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 left a power vacuum, with the country's new government failing to establish civil order outside of Kabul. The subsequent breakdown in civil order, coupled with the rise of local militias and warlords, created an environment of instability and lawlessness.

Pushtun resentment

The new "Islamic State of Afghanistan" that emerged after the Soviet withdrawal was dominated by Tajik and Uzbek leaders, leading to resentment among the Pushtun population. This ethnic tension contributed to the rise of the Taliban, which was predominantly composed of Pushtun members.

External assistance

The Taliban received significant external assistance, particularly from Pakistan, which sought to nurture a Pushtun-dominated group amenable to Pakistani influence. Pakistan provided military support, training, financial assistance, and logistical backing to the Taliban. Additionally, Saudi Arabia played a crucial role in the Taliban's rise by providing financial support and introducing its religious ideology into Pakistani religious schools, known as madrassas.

Chronic divisions among non-Pushtuns

The non-Pushtun groups, including the Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara, were plagued by internal divisions and rivalries, making it difficult for them to present a united front against the Taliban. This disunity allowed the Taliban to exploit these divisions and gain territorial control.

Combat fatigue

The constant conflict and instability following the Soviet departure led to a sense of fatigue among the Afghan people. The Taliban's promise of stability and order, despite its harsh interpretation of Islamic law, held some appeal for a war-weary populace.

Limited external assistance to non-Pushtun forces

In contrast to the substantial support received by the Taliban, the non-Pushtun forces received limited external assistance. The fall of the Soviet Union and the subsequent end of Soviet aid to the Afghan government further contributed to the power vacuum and instability in the country.

The US-led invasion

The invasion, which began on October 7, 2001, saw US-led forces topple the Taliban, which had been in power since 1996. The Taliban was an ultraconservative political and religious faction that ruled Afghanistan and provided sanctuary for al-Qaeda, the perpetrators of the September 11 attacks.

The invasion was swift, with US-led forces overtaking key cities and towns, including Kabul, the capital, by mid-November. By December 6, Kandahar, the Taliban's spiritual home, had fallen, signalling the official end of Taliban rule in Afghanistan.

The invasion was followed by an intensive manhunt for Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda's leader, and Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taliban leader. Bin Laden was believed to have escaped to Pakistan, while Omar settled in the Pakistani city of Quetta.

The War on Terror

The initial conflict was aimed at al-Qaeda, with the main theatre in Afghanistan and Pakistan, a region later referred to as "AfPak". The invasion of Afghanistan was the opening salvo in the United States' war on terror and a response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. Dubbed "Operation Enduring Freedom" in U.S. military parlance, the invasion of Afghanistan was intended to target terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda organization, which was based in the country, as well as the extreme fundamentalist Taliban government that had ruled most of the country since 1996 and supported and protected al-Qaeda.

The conflict in Afghanistan would span two decades and become the longest war in U.S. history. During the 20-year conflict, more than 3,500 allied soldiers were killed, with 20,000-plus Americans injured. Approximately 69,000 Afghan security forces were killed, along with roughly 51,000 civilians and 51,000 militants. According to the United Nations, some 5 million Afghans have been displaced by the war since 2012, making Afghanistan the world's third-largest displaced population.

Osama Bin Laden's death

Osama Bin Laden, the founder and leader of the Islamist militant group Al-Qaeda, was killed in a US Navy SEAL operation on May 2, 2011. The operation, code-named Operation Neptune Spear, was carried out in a CIA-led mission, with the Joint Special Operations Command coordinating the Special Mission Units involved in the raid.

The operation was a culmination of a nearly decade-long manhunt for Bin Laden, who was accused of masterminding the September 11 attacks on the United States. The killing of Bin Laden ended a global manhunt for the terrorist leader, who was believed to be hiding in Afghanistan.

The raid was approved by US President Barack Obama and involved two dozen Navy SEALs in two Black Hawk helicopters. The raid took 40 minutes, and Bin Laden was killed shortly before 1:00 a.m. local time. In addition to Bin Laden, three other men and a woman were killed in the operation.

The success of the operation was confirmed by DNA testing and facial recognition software. Bin Laden's body was buried at sea within 24 hours of his death, in accordance with Islamic tradition.

The killing of Bin Laden was met with a mixed response. While it was supported by the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union, it was condemned by others, including two-thirds of the Pakistani public. The operation also raised questions about the legal and ethical aspects of the killing, such as the failure to capture Bin Laden alive.

The death of Bin Laden was a significant moment in the War in Afghanistan, which began in 2001 as a direct response to the September 11 attacks. The conflict lasted two decades and spanned four US presidencies, becoming the longest war in American history.

The US withdrawal

The US deployed about 6,000 troops to assist in evacuation efforts. The evacuation efforts were carried out amidst attacks by the Taliban and the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate. A suicide bombing at the Kabul airport on August 26 killed 13 US service members and about 170 Afghans.

The last US military planes left Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, marking the end of the US's longest war. The withdrawal left about 100,000 people who might be eligible for expedited US visas. It also left behind thousands of Afghans who had assisted the US and its allies, as well as up to 200 Americans, who remained in Afghanistan.

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