The Battle For Afghanistan: A War Against The Taliban's Rule

The war between Afghanistan and the Taliban began in 2001 when an international coalition led by the USA invaded Afghanistan to destroy the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda, after the Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden. The Taliban, a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist and predominantly Pashtun movement, controlled most of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. The invasion of Afghanistan was triggered by the September 11 attacks, which were hatched by Al-Qaeda. The war between the Taliban and Afghanistan lasted for 20 years, ending in 2021 when the Taliban again claimed to be in control of Afghanistan.

The US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, in response to the 9/11 attacks

The 9/11 attacks on the United States in 2001 were carried out by al-Qaeda, a terrorist network led by Osama bin Laden. In the aftermath of the attacks, the administration of US President George W. Bush decided to first oust the Taliban from Afghanistan and dismantle al-Qaeda.

On 7 October 2001, the US and its allies, including the UK, launched Operation Enduring Freedom, an intense bombing campaign targeting Taliban and al-Qaeda installations in Afghanistan. The invasion was the opening salvo in the US "war on terror". The conflict in Afghanistan would span two decades and become the longest war in US history.

The Taliban, an ultraconservative political and religious faction, had ruled Afghanistan since 1996 and provided sanctuary for al-Qaeda. In the weeks prior to the invasion, the US and the UN Security Council had demanded that the Taliban turn over Osama bin Laden for prosecution. The Taliban refused, and after deeming their counteroffers unsatisfactory, the US began the invasion with an aerial bombardment of key targets.

US and UK forces were joined by troops from the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, and on 12 November, a little over a month after the military action began, Taliban officials and their forces retreated from the capital, Kabul. By early December, Kandahar, the last Taliban stronghold, had fallen, and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar went into hiding.

Al-Qaeda fighters continued to hide out in Afghanistan's mountainous Tora Bora region, where they were engaged by anti-Taliban Afghan forces, backed by US Special Forces troops. Al-Qaeda soon initiated a truce, which is now believed to have been a ploy to allow Osama bin Laden and other key al-Qaeda members time to escape into neighbouring Pakistan. By mid-December, the bunker and cave complex used by al-Qaeda at Tora Bora had been captured, but there was no sign of bin Laden.

The invasion was a striking military success for the Coalition. Fewer than 12 US soldiers died between October and March, compared to some 15,000 Taliban killed or taken prisoner. Special forces teams and their Afghan allies had done most of the work, and relatively few soldiers had been required.

However, the failure to capture bin Laden or negotiate with the Taliban set the course for the long war that bin Laden had dreamed of getting the US into. Bin Laden was eventually killed in Pakistan by US Navy SEALS on 2 May 2011.

The role of the Northern Alliance, a coalition of anti-Taliban militias, in the war

The Northern Alliance was a coalition of anti-Taliban militias that played a crucial role in the war against the Taliban. The alliance was formed in 1996 by opposition factions, including prominent leaders of the ousted government, following the Taliban's takeover of Kabul.

The Northern Alliance was led by Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was assassinated by al-Qaeda operatives in 2001. After Massoud's death, the alliance was led by various commanders, including Abdul Rashid Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek military leader, and Mohammed Fahim, a Tajik leader. The alliance received support from several countries, including India, Iran, Russia, Tajikistan, and the United States.

In 2001, the Northern Alliance controlled less than 10% of Afghanistan, confined mostly to the Panjshir Valley in the northeast. However, they played a pivotal role in the war against the Taliban. With the support of US air strikes, the Northern Alliance was able to drive the Taliban out of Kabul in November 2001. This marked a turning point in the war, as the Taliban's resistance collapsed, and the Northern Alliance captured the Afghan capital.

The Northern Alliance was instrumental in the formation of the interim government led by Hamid Karzai, which was established in December 2001. Members of the alliance held key positions in the new government, including the vice presidency and several ministerial roles. Despite their success in ousting the Taliban, the Northern Alliance eventually disbanded as its members supported the new Afghan Interim Administration.

The Taliban's resurgence and adoption of new tactics, including suicide bombings and IEDs

The Taliban's resurgence in Afghanistan can be traced back to the group's ability to adapt and adopt new tactics, including suicide bombings and the use of IEDs.

The Taliban, ousted from power in 2001 by US-led forces, began to re-emerge as a significant threat in 2005, with greater coordination and resilience among its fighters. They adopted new tactics modelled on those used by insurgents in the Iraq War, including suicide bombings and the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The Taliban's use of suicide bombings can be traced back to the early 2000s. Before 2004, suicide bombings were rare in Afghanistan, with just six such attacks in 2004. However, in 2005, the number more than tripled to 21, and in 2006, Afghanistan saw 141 suicide attacks, resulting in 1,166 casualties.

The Taliban's use of suicide bombings continued to escalate, and by 2015, they had announced plans to establish a battalion of suicide attackers as part of the national army of Afghanistan. These "martyrdom brigades" were to be "under the control of the ministry of defence and will be used for special operations," according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

The Taliban's use of IEDs has also been a significant tactic in their resurgence. IEDs were responsible for 38% of all civilian casualties during the first half of 2021 and were used indiscriminately, often resulting in high numbers of civilian casualties.

The Taliban's ability to adapt and adopt new tactics, including suicide bombings and the use of IEDs, has been a key factor in their resurgence and their ability to seize control of Afghanistan in 2021.

The US strategy of classic counterinsurgency, implemented in 2008

The US strategy of classic counterinsurgency was implemented in 2008, during the third phase of the Afghanistan War. This strategy was coupled with a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan. The new approach aimed to protect the population from Taliban attacks and support efforts to reintegrate insurgents into Afghan society. However, it largely failed to achieve its aims, with insurgent attacks and civilian casualties remaining high.

The US-led counterinsurgency strategy was based on the following principles:

• Protecting the population: The US and its allies aimed to secure the population from Taliban attacks by increasing the number of troops in Afghanistan.
• Reintegrating insurgents: Efforts were made to encourage insurgents to lay down their arms and rejoin Afghan society.
• Building Afghan security forces: The US recognised the need to build a capable and legitimate indigenous security force, including the police and military, to effectively counter the insurgency.
• Focusing on governance: The US understood the importance of improving local governance and addressing issues such as corruption, lack of infrastructure, and weak state institutions.
• Addressing external support for insurgents: The US sought to eliminate the Taliban's sanctuary bases in Pakistan and disrupt their support networks, including from global jihadist groups and individuals within the Pakistani government.

The evacuation of over 120,000 people from Kabul airport in August 2021

The evacuation of Kabul airport in August 2021 was one of the largest airlifts in history. Between 14 and 31 August 2021, the US and its coalition partners evacuated more than 120,000 people from Afghanistan via airlifts from Kabul International Airport (known then as Hamid Karzai International Airport). The evacuation was completed on 30 August, one day before a deadline agreed upon with the Taliban.

The evacuees included foreign diplomatic staff and military personnel, third-country civilians, Afghan allies, and vulnerable Afghans such as journalists, human rights activists, interpreters, assistants, Hazara people, and women and minorities. The US alone evacuated about 82,300 people from the airport, including US citizens, Special Immigrant Visa applicants, and other vulnerable Afghans.

The evacuation took place amid the withdrawal of US and NATO forces and the collapse of the Afghan government, which occurred sooner than intelligence projections had estimated. The Taliban took control of Kabul on 15 August 2021, and the NATO-backed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan collapsed. With the Taliban controlling the whole city except for the airport, hostilities ceased, and the Taliban assisted in the evacuation effort by providing security and screening evacuees.

The evacuation operations were challenging and urgent, with thousands of fleeing Afghan civilians rushing to the airport. US soldiers used helicopters, smoke grenades, and warning shots to control the crowds. The situation was chaotic, with some people climbing over boundary walls to enter the airport and others running alongside planes attempting to take off. There were also reports of people falling from planes and being run over by vehicles.

On 26 August 2021, a suicide bombing took place at Hamid Karzai International Airport, killing at least 180 people, including 170 Afghan civilians and 13 members of the US military. The Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack. This was followed by a US drone strike on 29 August that mistakenly killed 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children.

Despite these challenges and tragedies, the evacuation of Kabul airport in August 2021 successfully evacuated over 120,000 people from Afghanistan.

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