The Unexpected Places: A Look At Military Officer Deployment In The Afghanistan War

The War in Afghanistan was an armed conflict that lasted from 2001 to 2021. It was a direct response to the September 11 attacks, with the US-led international military coalition declaring Operation Enduring Freedom as part of the war on terror. The conflict officially ended with the 2021 Taliban offensive, which overthrew the Islamic Republic and re-established the Islamic Emirate.

During the war, military officers were stationed in various parts of Afghanistan, including Kabul, Helmand, Kandahar, Kunduz, and other provinces. The US and its allies drove the Taliban from power and built military bases near major cities. The United Nations authorized an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to help the Afghans maintain security, and NATO Allies took command of the force in 2003.

The number of US troops in Afghanistan increased over the years, peaking at around 100,000 in 2011. However, the US began withdrawing its troops in 2014, and the war officially ended in 2021 with the Taliban regaining control of the country.

US and UK troops began striking Afghanistan on 7 October 2001, declaring Operation Enduring Freedom

On October 7, 2001, US and UK troops began striking Afghanistan, declaring Operation Enduring Freedom. The strikes were in response to the September 11 attacks, with the stated goal of dismantling al-Qaeda and denying Islamist militants a safe base of operations in Afghanistan by toppling the Taliban government. The strikes were also intended to target terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, who was based in the country.

The strikes were led by the US, with the UK as a key ally, and were supported by other nations including France, Germany, Australia, and Canada. The invasion of Afghanistan was the opening salvo in the United States' "war on terror".

The strikes were carried out through an intense bombing campaign, with the first wave of conventional ground forces arriving twelve days later. The coalition captured Kabul on November 13 and toppled the Taliban by December 17, after which international military bases were set up near major cities across the country.

However, most members of al-Qaeda and the Taliban were not captured. During the Battle of Tora Bora, several fighters, including Osama bin Laden, escaped into neighbouring Pakistan or retreated to remote regions within the Hindu Kush.

The US-led coalition remained in Afghanistan, forming a security mission (ISAF) to create a new democratic authority in the country

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a US-led coalition security mission in Afghanistan, established by the United Nations Security Council in December 2001. The ISAF was a NATO-led mission, with NATO taking command in August 2003. It was one of the largest coalitions in history and NATO's longest and most challenging mission to date.

ISAF's primary objective was to enable the Afghan government to provide effective security across the country. This was to be achieved by training the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and assisting in rebuilding key government institutions. The force gradually took part in the broader war in Afghanistan against the Taliban insurgency. The ISAF provided support to the Afghan government and international community in security sector reform, including mentoring, training, and operational support to the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP). The aim was to build professional, independent, and sustainable forces capable of providing security to the Afghan people throughout the country.

ISAF's initial mandate was to secure the Afghan capital of Kabul and its surrounding area against opposition forces. However, in 2007, the UN Security Council mandated the gradual expansion of ISAF's operations to cover the whole country. From 2011, responsibility for security was gradually transitioned to Afghan forces, which took the lead for security operations across the country by the summer of 2013. The transition process was completed, and Afghan forces assumed full security responsibility at the end of 2014, when the ISAF mission was terminated.

During the War in Afghanistan, NATO forces utilised airbases, forward operating bases, main operating bases, combat outposts, firebases, and patrol bases across the country's six regional commands. These included Regional Command Capital, headquartered at Camp KAIA in Kabul, and Regional Command East, which included the provinces of Bamyan, Ghazni, and Nangarhar, with its command headquarters at Bagram Airfield.

The Taliban regrouped and began a widespread insurgency against the new Afghan government and coalition forces

The Taliban spent several years regrouping, and launched a re-escalation of the insurgency campaign in 2006. The Taliban continued attacking and ambushing NATO and Afghan troops as well as the targeted assassination of government officials. The Taliban continued to favour suicide bombing as a tactic.

The Taliban continued to be a threat to the Afghan government and coalition forces in 2011, with the United Nations estimating that civilian deaths rose by 15% and reached 1462, the worst death toll since the beginning of the war. The Taliban continued to be a threat to the Afghan government and coalition forces in 2012, with the United Nations reporting that civilian casualties remained high.

In 2015, the Taliban began an offensive that took over parts of Helmand Province. By June, they had seized control of Dishu and Baghran, killing 5,588 Afghan government security forces. The Taliban insurgency intensified considerably in 2021, coinciding with the withdrawal of United States and allied troops from Afghanistan. The Taliban began its last major offensive on 1 May, culminating in the fall of Kabul, a Taliban victory, and the end of the war.

The coalition sent a major influx of troops for counter-insurgency operations, with a clear and hold strategy for villages and towns

The War in Afghanistan involved a large number of coalition forces, including troops from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Turkey, Mongolia, and Hungary. These forces were stationed across several bases in Afghanistan, including Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, which served as the main British base until October 2014, and Bagram Airfield, which housed the Regional Command East headquarters.

In 2009, the US Marines launched a major offensive in southern Afghanistan, marking a significant test for their new counterinsurgency strategy. This strategy involved a surge of troops, with a clear and hold approach for villages and towns. The goal was to clear key population centres of insurgents and then hold these areas to prevent the insurgents from returning, thereby restoring government services, strengthening local police forces, and protecting civilians.

The clear, hold, and build strategy was not without its challenges. Afghanistan's rural and scattered population, coupled with the vast and inhospitable terrain, made it difficult to secure the entire country. As a result, coalition forces had to prioritise securing key population centres, such as Kandahar, and gradually expand their influence. This approach was a shift from presurge offences, where troops would attack and then return to their bases.

The surge in Afghanistan mirrored a similar strategy employed in Iraq, where US and Iraqi security forces focused on clearing and holding ground in urban areas. However, the rural and rugged nature of Afghanistan presented unique challenges, and the build element of the strategy faced questions due to limited resources and the complexity of fostering economic growth, governance, and stability.

The clear and hold strategy in Afghanistan also evolved over time. During the Marjah offensive, coalition forces publicly telegraphed their intentions, encouraging insurgents to leave or go into hiding rather than engage in direct combat. This shift in approach reflected a greater emphasis on protecting populations over killing insurgents.

The US-Taliban deal in February 2020 stipulated the withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan by 2021

The US-Taliban deal, signed in February 2020, was a significant step towards ending the US's longest war in Afghanistan. The deal was signed between the US and the Taliban, excluding the American-backed Afghanistan government. The agreement laid out a timeline for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, which was to be completed within 14 months. The deal also included a temporary reduction in violence, the commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations, and counterterrorism assurances from the Taliban.

The agreement was not a final peace deal and was filled with ambiguity. The US agreed to reduce its troops in Afghanistan from 12,000 to 8,600 within 135 days. If the Taliban honoured its commitments, all foreign troops would leave Afghanistan within 14 months. However, the deal was dependent on several conditions being met, including a reduction in violence, the start of intra-Afghan talks, and guarantees that Afghanistan would not become a safe haven for terrorists.

The intra-Afghan talks were slow to start, and there was little discussion on the substantive issues that needed to be addressed, such as power-sharing, women's rights, and the future of Afghanistan's democratic institutions. The Taliban's commitment to reducing violence was also hard to verify, and the group continued to launch major attacks in Kabul and on Afghan security bases.

The US-Taliban deal was only the first step towards achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan. The bigger challenge was to negotiate an agreement between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Many Afghans feared that a US withdrawal could spark new conflict and eventually allow the Taliban to regain control.

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