Afghan WarEdit
The Afghan War began in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, when the United States and a broad coalition moved to dismantle the safe havens of al-Qaeda and remove the regime that had sheltered them, the Taliban. The initial objective was clear: deny terrorist groups the ability to operate from Afghanistan and threaten the homeland, while offering a pathway to a more stable and self-governing country. The early military phase, led by the United States under Operation Enduring Freedom, quickly toppled the Taliban from most urban centers, exposed the limits of a quick, decisive victory in a rugged, sprawling country, and set the stage for a longer project of stabilization and state-building.
Over the next two decades, the war evolved into a sustained campaign of counterinsurgency, reconstruction, and governance reform. A multinational coalition, including NATO forces and partners from around the world, helped build and train Afghan security forces, establish governance structures, and pursue economic development in a challenging security environment. The effort yielded tangible gains—improved access to education and healthcare in some areas, expanded infrastructure, and a formal political process with elections and a constitution—but these gains coexisted with persistent insurgent activity, corruption, and uneven improvements across provinces. The conflict also drew in regional stakeholders and complicated relations with neighboring states, particularly in the border regions.
As the fight dragged on, debates over strategy and priorities intensified. Supporters argued that a patient, comprehensive approach to counterterrorism and state-building was indispensable for long-term security, both at home and abroad. Critics contended that the nation-building venture was too grand in scale, too dependent on protracted foreign commitments, and too vulnerable to governance failures and endemic corruption. The endurance of the war prompted questions about exit plans, resource allocation, and the sustainability of Western-style institutions in a deeply local political landscape. In this context, the debate included discussions about the appropriate balance between military pressure against insurgents and the development of transparent, accountable governance at the national level.
The war also sparked controversies that recur in any long, multinational campaign. Civilian casualties and humanitarian concerns drew sustained scrutiny, with critics arguing that the human cost of fighting in villages and rural districts overshadowed progress elsewhere. The use of drone strikes and other high-technology methods raised legal and ethical questions about accountability and proportionality. Governance and corruption remained stubborn obstacles to legitimacy, even as elections and constitutional processes created competing centers of authority. The costs—financial, human, and strategic—were borne by many actors, including the Afghan people, who faced displacement, disrupted livelihoods, and ongoing security threats, and by international partners who funded and staffed a large portion of the reconstruction effort.
In 2020–2021 the campaign reached a turning point with negotiations between the United States and the Taliban and a decision by Western capitals to end major combat operations and withdraw. The withdrawal culminated in 2021 with the Taliban regaining control of Kabul and much of the country, prompting a reassessment of what had been achieved and what had not. Proponents of the intervention point to the disruption of al-Qaeda’s operational capabilities and the establishment of Afghan security forces that could, in theory, continue the fight or defend the country against renewed threats. Critics argue that the long-term project remained dependent on external support and that a stable, self-sustaining system of government in Afghanistan did not survive the departure of foreign troops. The legacy of the war thus includes a large, trained security apparatus and a set of institutions and practices—some functioning, others fragile—that continue to shape Afghan politics and security dynamics. The strategic question for many observers remains whether the costs and risks of up-front intervention yielded a net reduction in danger to civilians and to international security, or whether the effort produced a fragile state that could not endure without ongoing external backing.