Six things you need to know about the Afghanistan War

The Afghanistan War was one of the largest conflicts in modern history, involving numerous countries – the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK) and Canada, to name a few – and also panning across three Presidents of the United States. It also caused a substantial number of casualties, both civilian and members of the armed forces.

How did it begin?

Following the September 11 attacks – more commonly known as 9/11 – American intelligence discovered crucial information about the terrorists behind the plane hijackings. It was determined that in the late 1980s, the individuals had trained as part of al-Qaeda, a terrorist organisation founded by Osama bin Laden.

The president in office at the time – George W. Bush – demanded for the Taliban-led government to surrender any authorities of al-Qaeda to the United States. The Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden and other leaders of the organisation, and as a result, Operation Enduring Freedom was launched in October 2001.

What is Operation Enduring Freedom?

Operation Enduring Freedom was the name given by the US government for the first part of the war in Afghanistan, which lasted for a total of 13 years from October 7 2007 until December 28 2014.

Which countries were involved in the Afghanistan War?

Many countries were involved in the war, however the countries involved in the initial invasion - and the military presence which followed it - were the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.

US and British war planes launched the initial attack against Taliban targets. However, Canada was also involved from the beginning with over 40,000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces serving as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

Germany, France, Italy, Australia and other NATO allies were also involved in the Afghanistan war and formed part of the US-led coalition forces. These countries were involved in different ways, with some contributing troops and others participating in reconstruction efforts. Japan also played a part in rebuilding infrastructure.

What did the Afghanistan war involve?

The war in Afghanistan involved three phases.

Phase One

The first phase of the operation was brief, lasting only two months. It began with airstrikes targeting al-Qaeda forces and the Taliban, resulting in them losing control over major cities such as Kabul and Kandahar.

Phase Two

During the second phase, the US formed a strategy that aimed to defeat the Taliban and rebuild the Afghan state through establishing a new government and infrastructure, as well as providing humanitarian aid to Afghans. This phase lasted from 2002 until 2008.

Phase Three

The third phase of the operation began in 2008 but was driven forward in 2009 following President Barack Obama’s decision to temporarily increase the US troop presence in Afghanistan. This phase was an example of what is known as a 'counterinsurgency', where military or political action is taken to defeat and contain an insurgency – in this case, the Taliban.

The strategy aimed to protect the Afghan population from Taliban attacks, as well as support in the rebuilding of Afghan security forces. It also promoted economic development.

Alongside the final phase of the operation, there was a slow withdrawal of foreign forces in Afghanistan in 2011 as the Afghan military and police gradually took over security responsibilities. This was unsuccessful as civilian casualties remained high, and the Afghan military and police were insufficiently prepared in holding off the Taliban.

It wasn’t until three years later in 2014 that the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) combat mission ended. This marked the Afghanistan War as being the longest war ever fought by the US. The US and NATO still had a presence in Afghanistan beyond this, but the reduced force was present to offer training and support to the Afghan military.

How long did the war last?

The Afghanistan War lasted for 20 years in total. Operation Enduring Freedom took place for the first 13 years, followed by another seven-year mission led by NATO where a US military presence remained in Afghanistan.

How did the war end?

After 2014, when the US officially ended their combat mission in Afghanistan, the Taliban continued to fight against the Afghan government. In 2020, the US and the Taliban signed a peace agreement in Qatar, which outlined the withdrawal of US and NATO forces by May 2021.

The President in office at this time – President Biden – announced that the US will not meet this deadline and instead released a plan to withdraw the remaining 3,500 troops by September 11 2021, regardless of whether or not progress has been made regarding the Taliban attacks.

Later that year in August 2021, the Afghan government collapsed as the Taliban regained power in the capital, Kabul. They also captured all but two of the other capitals in Afghanistan and seized border crossings.

How did the United States respond to this?

The US deployed 6,000 troops to evacuate the US and any allies whilst securing Kabul’s international airport to enable Afghans to flee the country.

After a two-week withdrawal process, during which 120,000 people were evacuated, the last of the US military forces departed Afghanistan for the final time, leaving it under the control of the Taliban.

Casualties

The total number of deaths amongst the coalition forces – US, Britain and allies – totalled 3,486. 457 of these deaths were of British servicemen and women, and over 2,300 were members of the US armed forces.

Other opposition forces, including the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, had over 51,000 casualties.

Across the 20-year war, it is estimated that more than 46,000 civilians also lost their lives.

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