The document provides background information on the war in Afghanistan including: - A brief history of the Soviet war in Afghanistan from 1979-1989 and the subsequent civil wars. - Details on the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in 2001 that prompted US intervention in Afghanistan to dismantle Al-Qaeda. - An overview of the key actors involved in the Afghanistan war such as the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, NATO forces, and the governments of the US, UK, and Pakistan. - Statistics on US spending (over $100 billion annually since 2009) and the duration of the war (over 14 years since 2001). - Outcomes of the war such as ongoing casualties among US, allied, and Afghan

1. Afghanistan WAR
9/11
ID: 24201
Zauq Akhtar, MSDS

2. Afghanistan Basics
Population = 32 million
Area= 647,500 sq. km
Language = Afghan Persian
70 different languages
Ethnicity = Mixed
Pashtun 50%
Associate with Tribes
Literacy Rate = 36%
Land = Mountain and Desert
Landlocked
Won Independence from Great Britain in 1919

3. History and Actors in
Afghanistan WAR
The Soviet war in Afghanistan lasted nine year from December 1979 to
February 1989.
Civil war in Afghanistan (1989-92) collapse of communist Najibullah
government
Civil war in Afghanistan (1992-96) leads to the Taliban controlling most
of Afghanistan
Civil war in Afghanistan (1996-2001) Taliban period
War in Afghanistan after 9/11 from 2001- till date ISAF/NATO
involvement
Military Power

4. September 11, 2001Twin Towers
Attack
Al-Qaeda attacked on the Twin Towers of World Trade Center in New-
York city
After 9/11, (2001) USA waged a War on Terror with the help of her
allies i.e. UK and the NATO countries.
There was no clear picture to USA that who was the main target after
twin tower attacks.

5. Twin Towers
Attack

6. 9/11
ActorsInternational
Terrorism
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
Al-Qaeda
Taliban
Other Militant Organizations
United Kingdom (UK)
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members
Non-NATO participates including Pakistan
United States of America (USA)

7. International
Terrorism
Al Qaeda & Osama Bin Laden
Al Qaeda
bombing of World Trade Centre (1993)
attempt to destroy 11 Jumbo’s (1995)
bombing of US facilities in Riyadh (1995) & Dhahran (1996), killing 26 and injuring 540
embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, killing 224 (1998)
attack on USS Cole (2000)
Osama Bin Laden
Originally from a rich Saudi Arabian family.
Joined the call from Afghanistan to join a religious war against the Soviets
He received training from our CIA operatives

8. International
Terrorism
• The war followed the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in an effort to dismantle al-Qaeda and eliminate its
safe haven by removing the Taliban from power.
• U.S. President George W. Bush demanded that the Taliban hand over Osama bin Laden and expel al- Qaeda
• The United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom on 7 October 2001.
• In December 2001, the United Nations Security Council established the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF),
to oversee security in the country and train Afghan National Security Forces.
• ISAF continued to battle the Taliban insurgency, fighting crossed into neighboring North-West Pakistan.
• U.S. military launched drone attacks in Pakistan to kill insurgent leaders.
• On 2 May 2011, U.S. Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
• UN-backed peace talks began between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
War in Afghanistan 2001-Present

9. International
Terrorism
US Troops in Afghanistan
2002-2004
US Mission
limited to Kabul
2004-2006
Mission
expends other
regions of
country
Low level of
violence during
2002 to 2006
Growing violence
from 2007-2008
2009
First troop
increase under
president
Obama
(68,000)
2010
Second Obama
increase troops
98,000

10. US spending on this WarInternational
Terrorism
$0
$25
$50
$75
$100
$125
2001/2 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
$21
$15 $15
$20 $19
$39
$43
$60
$94
$119
$114
Source:
Federation
of American
Scientists
Spending's In
Billions

11. Duration 9/11 WarInternational
Terrorism
September 11, 2001
Present
To
From
14 Years, 6 months and two weeks

12. Outcomes of the WARInternational
Terrorism
• USA and ally troops are dying or are injured everyday.
• Innocent Afghans are being killed or injured daily too, people are hating America because of it.
• More than 60 thousand Pakistani civilian and military personnel being killed.
• Hope to stop terrorists from planning attacks in the future

13. ReferenceInternational
Terrorism
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5365287n&tag=mncol;lst;1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2WUcyZKSCM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yhX1NNSnh4
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7364759n&tag=mncol;lst;3
Federation of American Scientists
US department of defense
Congressional Research Services

14. International
Terrorism
Thank You