The War In Afghanistan: Unraveling The Decision To Declare War

The war in Afghanistan was declared by President George W. Bush in response to the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, which were plotted by Al-Qaeda from bases in Afghanistan. On October 7, 2001, the US military officially launched Operation Enduring Freedom, with support from the United Kingdom. The war aimed to stamp out global terrorism and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for international terrorists. While the war resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden and dealt a significant blow to Al-Qaeda, it also led to tens of thousands of American and Afghan casualties and a resurgence of the Taliban.

The war in Afghanistan was the longest war in American history

The initial goal of the war was to get those who attacked the US on September 11 and to make sure al-Qaeda could not use Afghanistan as a base from which to attack the US again. This goal was achieved when Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011. However, the war continued for another decade, with shifting goals and strategies.

Over the course of the war, the US and its allies attempted to rebuild and stabilize Afghanistan, but they faced many challenges, including corruption in the Afghan government, a resilient Taliban insurgency, and a lack of international support. The war resulted in tens of thousands of American and Afghan casualties and cost the US over a trillion dollars.

In 2021, President Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of remaining US troops from Afghanistan, bringing an end to the longest war in American history. The war had become a source of frustration for many Americans, who felt that the purpose of the war had become blurred and that it was time to end America's "forever war". The withdrawal was completed on August 30, 2021, with the evacuation of the last remaining US troops and diplomats from Kabul.

The war was started by President George W. Bush in response to the 9/11 attacks

The war in Afghanistan was started by President George W. Bush in response to the 9/11 attacks. On October 7, 2001, the US military officially launched Operation Enduring Freedom, with support from the United Kingdom. The war's earliest phase mostly involved airstrikes on al-Qaeda and Taliban targets.

The 9/11 attacks were plotted by al-Qaeda from bases in Afghanistan. In response, President Bush called on the Taliban, which controlled most of Afghanistan, to deliver al-Qaeda leaders hiding out in the country, including Osama bin Laden. When the Taliban rejected that call, Bush adopted a war footing. Congress authorized US forces to go after those responsible for 9/11 on September 18, 2001, though lawmakers never explicitly voted to declare war on Afghanistan.

By November 2001, 1,300 American troops were in the country. This number steadily increased over the coming months as US and Afghan forces toppled the Taliban government and went after bin Laden, who was hiding in the Tora Bora cave complex southeast of Kabul. Bin Laden eventually slipped across the border into Pakistan.

The coming months and years would see Bush send thousands more US troops to Afghanistan to go after Taliban insurgents. By May 2003, the Pentagon said major combat in Afghanistan was over. The focus for the US and its international partners then turned toward reconstructing the country and installing a Western-style democratic political system.

Many of the strictures of the Taliban fell away, and thousands of girls and women were allowed to attend school and take jobs. However, Afghanistan's government, still rife with corruption, frustrated American officials. Meanwhile, the Taliban began a resurgence.

At the same time, focus in Washington shifted toward the war in Iraq, which sapped military resources and attention from Afghanistan. By the time Bush was re-elected in 2004, troop levels in Afghanistan had reached around 20,0000, even as oversight and attention were directed more squarely on Iraq.

In the following years, there were steady increases in American forces deployed to Afghanistan as the Taliban regained ground in rural areas of the south. When Bush left office in 2009, there were more than 30,000 US troops stationed in Afghanistan, and the Taliban was staging a full-blown insurgency.

In conclusion, the war in Afghanistan was started by President George W. Bush in direct response to the 9/11 attacks. The war's earliest phases involved airstrikes on al-Qaeda and Taliban targets, followed by the deployment of thousands of American troops to topple the Taliban government and target Osama bin Laden. Bush's focus then shifted to reconstruction and installing a democratic political system in Afghanistan, while the Taliban began to regroup and regain ground.

The US military officially launched Operation Enduring Freedom on October 7, 2001

On October 7, 2001, the US military officially launched Operation Enduring Freedom, with support from the United Kingdom. The war's earliest phase mostly involved airstrikes on al-Qaeda and Taliban targets. But by November, 1,300 American troops were in the country.

The operation was a response to the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, which were plotted by al-Qaeda from bases in Afghanistan. President George W. Bush vowed to stamp out global terrorism. He called on the Taliban – which controlled most of Afghanistan – to deliver al-Qaeda leaders hiding out in the country, including Osama bin Laden. When the Taliban rejected that call, he adopted a war footing.

The initial phases of Operation Enduring Freedom necessitated an enormous commitment in terms of total naval forces in the theatre. During the operation’s first six months, the Navy committed to the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT)/Fifth Fleet area of responsibility a total of six aircraft carrier battle groups, four amphibious ready groups, extensive additional support ships, and around 60,000 active-duty Sailors and Marines as well as some 13,000 reservists. In terms of ships alone, this constituted a surge of over three times the number of naval vessels typically assigned to NAVCENT/Fifth Fleet. Coalition navies—the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy, in particular—also participated extensively in Operation Enduring Freedom, providing further warfighting capabilities and support functions.

The Taliban returned to power in Kabul in August 2021

The Taliban's return to power in Kabul in August 2021 marked a turning point in Afghanistan's history, and the culmination of a two-decade-long conflict with US-led forces. The Taliban's swift offensive and the collapse of the Afghan government took many by surprise, including US officials and allies.

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban entered Kabul, marking the end of a rapid advance across the country. This came as US-led foreign forces were withdrawing after two decades of inconclusive war. The Afghan security forces, despite years of Western support, disintegrated, and the US-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.

The Taliban's takeover of Kabul was celebrated by its supporters as a victory for the "mujahid nation of Afghanistan." However, for many Afghans, especially women, the return to power raised fears and concerns about the erosion of their rights and freedoms. The Taliban's interpretation of Islamic law has resulted in restrictions on women's education, employment, and mobility, with girls over 12 being excluded from classes and most female staff being stopped from working at aid agencies.

The economic situation in Afghanistan has also deteriorated since the Taliban's return to power, with the country's economy floundering and malnutrition soaring. The Taliban's ban on narcotics cultivation, however, has led to a significant reduction in poppy production.

The international community's response to the Taliban's return to power has been cautious, with no country formally recognizing the Taliban government as of August 2023. The US and its allies are particularly concerned about the Taliban's ties to terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and the potential for Afghanistan to become a safe haven for terrorists.

The future of Afghanistan remains uncertain, with the Taliban facing challenges in governing the country effectively and addressing the economic and humanitarian crises. The rights and freedoms of Afghans, especially women and girls, remain at risk, and the country continues to be plagued by violence and instability.

The US spent $2 trillion on the war in Afghanistan

The $2 trillion spent on the war in Afghanistan was allocated as follows:

• $1.5 trillion on waging war
• $10 billion on counternarcotics
• $87 billion to train Afghan military and police forces
• $24 billion on economic development
• $30 billion on other reconstruction programs
• $500 billion on interest

The war in Afghanistan has also resulted in a substantial amount being committed to healthcare, disability, burial, and other costs for roughly 4 million Afghanistan and Iraq veterans. This amount is expected to peak after 2048.

The US government has never provided a full accounting of the costs of the war in Afghanistan. However, researchers at Brown University have estimated that the war has cost $2.3 trillion so far, which does not include the cost of the massive airlift conducted to evacuate 123,000 people from Afghanistan. Some costs, such as ongoing medical care for veterans, will continue to be incurred even though the US military presence in Afghanistan has ended.

The war in Afghanistan lasted for 20 years and resulted in the deaths of more than 2,400 US service members and more than 38,000 Afghan civilians. The US also appropriated more than $144 billion for Afghan reconstruction, much of which went to private contractors and NGOs tasked with implementing programs and projects to build Afghanistan's security forces, improve governance, and aid economic and social development.

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