@dr.tawin: The War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) stands as the longest armed conflict in United States military history. Sparked by the tragic events of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the two-decade war reshaped global geopolitics, strained international alliances, and concluded with a dramatic geopolitical shift that saw the Taliban return to absolute power after 20 years of U.S. and NATO presence. The Catalyst and Invasion (2001) • The 9/11 Terror Attacks: On September 11, 2001, the militant Islamist group al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airplanes, crashing them into the World Trade Center towers in New York, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, killing nearly 3,000 people. • The Taliban’s Refusal: Al-Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden, was operating from safe havens inside Afghanistan. U.S. President George W. Bush demanded that the ruling Taliban regime hand over bin Laden. The Taliban refused. • Operation Enduring Freedom: On October 7, 2001, the U.S. launched military operations alongside the Northern Alliance (an Afghan anti-Taliban coalition). Within weeks, the Taliban regime collapsed, and its leaders fled into the remote mountains and neighboring Pakistan. Insurgency and Nation-Building (2002–2010) • The Transition to Reconstruction: Following the fall of the Taliban, the UN established the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to oversee security. In 2004, a new democratic government was formed under President Hamid Karzai. • The Taliban Resurgence: As U.S. attention and military resources shifted toward the Iraq War in 2003, the Taliban regrouped. They initiated a deadly guerrilla war using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), ambush tactics, and suicide bombings. • The Obama Troop Surge: By 2009, security conditions had deteriorated significantly. President Barack Obama authorized a "surge," increasing the number of American troops to roughly 100,000 by 2010 to push back Taliban advances and train the Afghan National Security Forces. The Turning Point and Drawdown (2011–2019) • The Death of Bin Laden: On May 2, 2011, U.S. Navy SEALs successfully located and killed Osama bin Laden during a raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. • Transition of Security: With al-Qaeda’s core leadership severely damaged, NATO officially ended its combat mission in 2014, shifting to a training and advisory role under Operation Resolute Support. Afghan forces took over primary security duties, though they remained heavily reliant on U.S. air support and intelligence. • Stalemate: Despite years of fighting, neither the U.S.-backed government nor the Taliban could achieve a decisive victory, leading to an entrenched, exhausting stalemate. The Exit and Taliban Re-takeover (2020–2021) • The Doha Agreement: In February 2020, the Trump administration signed a peace accord with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar. The U.S. agreed to withdraw all troops within 14 months in exchange for a Taliban guarantee to prevent terror groups from using Afghan soil to threaten the West. • The Rapid Collapse: President Joe Biden proceeded with the full withdrawal plan in 2021. As American troops pulled back, the Afghan national military, plagued by corruption and a lack of logistical support, collapsed rapidly under a swift Taliban offensive. • The Fall of Kabul: On August 15, 2021, Taliban forces entered the capital city of Kabul virtually unopposed. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. • The Final Evacuation: The war officially ended on August 30, 2021, when the last U.S. military transport plane departed from Kabul International Airport, ending a chaotic two-week evacuation of over 120,000 people. #USArmy #WarInAfghanistan #MilitaryVehicles

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Tuesday 06 October 2026 11:07:28 GMT