US Invasion of Afghanistan
By: Jackson Wright
Factors Leading Up to the
Invasion
O During the Clinton Administration the US lowered
financial support for Afghanistan and favored
Pakistan
O Afghan people created a dislike for Americans
(helped start anti-American terrorist
organizations)
O October 15, 1999- US officially titled the Taliban
and al-Qaeda as terrorist organizations
O United Nations Security Counsel initiates
resolution 1267 putting sanctions on the two
terrorist organizations (Bruno)
Factors Leading Up to
Invasion(cont.)
O September 9, 2001- al-Qaeda assassinates
Ahmad Shah Massoud (anti- Taliban leader
in Afghanistan)
O September 11, 2001- al-Qaeda attacks the
World Trade Center and the Pentagon on US
soil
O September18, 2001- President Bush signs a
joint resolution act enabling the use of force
against those responsible for 9/11 (Bruno)
9/11
O September 11, 2001-19 al-Qaeda terrorists
hijacked 4 airliners in pursuit of destroying
several US facilities
O 2 planes hit the World Trade Center, 1 hit the
Pentagon, and the last plane was brought down in
Pennsylvania by brave passengers
O Over 3,000 lives were killed including over 400
policeman and fire fighters
O 9/11 attack was the biggest factor to US invasion
of Afghanistan (Bruno)
The War
O October 7, 2001- US and Great Britain begin
to bomb Taliban forces in Afghanistan(main
goal was control, command, and
communication of Taliban)
O Fall of Kabul and other large Afghan cities
foreshadows end of Taliban rule. In
response, Taliban used counter offensive
O December 9, 2001- end of Taliban rule in
Afghanistan (Bruno)
The War (cont.)
O May 1, 2003- Secretary of Defense
Rumsfeld declares an end to major combat
in Afghanistan
O July 2006- Taliban and al-Qaeda forces
begin to come back into Afghanistan and
wage war again mostly through suicide
bombings and guerilla tactics (Bruno)
Obama killed Osama
O The leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden
was killed May 1, 2011 in his home in
Pakistan
O Many politicians called for end of Afghanistan
war
O Many people believe this is the turning point
to the end of the wars in the middle east
(Bergmann)
Impact of Invasion
O Over $500 billion dollars spent by US
government
O March 2002- the Security Council
established the United Nations Assistance
Mission for Afghanistan to manage all of the
UN’s relief, recovery, humanitarian, and
reconstruction of Afghanistan
O UN has created an election operation in
Afghanistan to register voters and organize
elections (Harvey)
Impact of Invasion (cont.)
O Thousands of innocent Afghan and Pakistani
civilians killed
O US and NATO forces killed ¼ of all civilians
(Taliban killed ¾) (Harvey)
War Today
O War today in Afghanistan is mostly fought
with guerilla tactics, improvised explosive
devises(IED), and suicide bombings
O The Afghan security forces have now picked
up most of the fighting. However, they are
still assisted by NATO forces in the field("UN
Involvement in Afghanistan”).
O Afghan forces outnumber Taliban forces
12:1(“International, Afghan Forces
Outnumber Taliban 12-1" )
War Today (cont.)
O Support of war has decreased due to the US
and UN bombings of innocent civilians
O Some NATO allies have already pulled out
O Many people suggest the invasion campaign
is not producing the democracy, prosperity,
and security that was promised ("UN
Involvement in Afghanistan”)
Current Conditions with
Afghanistan Government
O Since the fall of Taliban rule in Afghanistan in
2001, the US and Afghan governments have
worked hard together against terrorist
organizations and have worked to ensure that
Afghanistan is no longer “a safe haven for
terrorists”(“Joint Declarations of the United
States-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership”)
O The Joint Declarations of the United StatesAfghanistan Strategic Partnership is to ensure
Afghanistan’s long term democracy, economy,
and security ("Joint Declaration of the United
States-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership”)
Current Conditions with
Afghanistan Government
(cont.)
O Us plans to help Afghanistan with
O Reconstruction and investments
O Create a trade center between Asia and Africa
O Organize, train, and equip Afghan security forces
O Encourage US businesses to create sectors in
Afghanistan
O Share Intelligence
O Create a lasting future in Democracy ("Joint
Declaration of the United States-Afghanistan
Strategic Partnership”)
Afghani Life
O Many new facilities and parks are being built
in the country
O Many people must live with amputated limbs
and cannot receive the best medical
treatment
O Democratic government continues to
develop and grow throughout country
(Harvey)
Afghan Life (cont.)
O Opium is main agricultural crop of
Afghanistan(used in heroin)
O Education standards are improving to assist
the 70% of people who are illiterate
O Many countries are trying to invest in
Afghanistan’s high amount of lithium found
in most batteries (Bergmann)
Future US involvement
O Barack Obama plans to pull out most
American forces by 2014
O Post 2014 the US will continue to give
training and equipment to Afghan security
forces. US will also continue to give financial
support (Bergmann)
Works Cited
O Bergmann, Christina. "The US and the
Future of
Afghanistan." Deutsche
Welle. Deutsche
Welle, 01 Nov.
2012. Web.
24 Feb.
2013.
O Bruno, Greg. "US War in Afghanistan." Council on
Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Nations,
2012. Web. 23 Feb. 2013.
O Harvey, Katherine. "Afghanistan, The
United States, and the Legacy of
Afghanistan’€
s Civil War." Stanford University.
™
Stanford University, 05
June 2003. Web. 27
Feb. 2013.
Work Cited (cont.)
O "International, Afghan Forces Outnumber
Taliban 12-1." Fox News. FOX News
Network, 27 Oct. 2009. Web. 03 Mar.
2013.
O "Joint Declaration of the United StatesAfghanistan
Strategic Partnership."
Afghanistan Online. N.p., 23 May
2005. Web. 25 Feb. 2013.
O "UN Involvement in Afghanistan." Global
Policy Forum. Global Policy, 2011.
Web. 27 Feb. 2013.