Editing Operation Enduring Freedom (section)

==Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan==

===Taliban===
Seizing upon a [[power vacuum]] after the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan after their [[Soviet invasion of Afghanistan|invasion]], the [[Taliban]] governed Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. Their extreme interpretation of Islamic law prompted them to ban music, television, sports, and dancing, and enforce harsh judicial penalties (See [[Human rights in Afghanistan]]). Amputation was an accepted form of punishment for stealing,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rawa.org/execute4.htm |title=Taliban publicly execute murderer, amputate two robbers |publisher=Rawa |date=14 August 1998 |access-date=27 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607162714/http://www.rawa.org/execute4.htm |archive-date=7 June 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0498/9804047.html |title=The Afghan Taliban: Like It or Not, It Occupies Two-Thirds of Afghanistan and Shows No Sign of Weakening |publisher=Washington report |access-date=27 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000302083726/http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0498/9804047.html |archive-date=2 March 2000}}</ref> and public executions could often be seen at the Kabul football stadium.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rawa.org/murder-w.htm |title=Filmed by RAWA: Taliban publicly execute an Afghan woman |publisher=Rawa |access-date=27 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510012809/http://www.rawa.org/murder-w.htm |archive-date=10 May 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Asia |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/s/w_asia/70585.stm |publisher=BBC |place=United Kingdom |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040124024022/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/s/w_asia/70585.stm |archive-date=24 January 2004}}</ref> Women's rights groups around the world were frequently critical as the Taliban banned women from appearing in public or holding many jobs outside the home.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}} They drew further criticism<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=81406&page=1 |title = U.N. Confirms Destruction of Afghan Buddhas| website=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] }}</ref> when they destroyed the [[Buddhas of Bamyan]], historical statues nearly 1,500 years old, because the Buddhas were considered idols.

In 1996, Saudi [[dissident]] [[Osama bin Laden]] moved to Afghanistan. When the Taliban came to power, bin Laden was able to forge an alliance between the Taliban and his [[al-Qaeda]] organization. It is understood that al-Qaeda-trained fighters known as the [[055 Brigade]] were integrated with the Taliban army between 1997 and 2001. It has been suggested that the Taliban and bin Laden had very close connections.<ref>{{Citation |publisher=9/11 commission |place=US |title=Report |chapter=5 |contribution-url=http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch5.pdf }}.</ref>

===U.S.-led coalition action===
{{Main|War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)}}

On 20 September 2001, the U.S. stated that Osama bin Laden was behind the [[11 September attacks]] in 2001. The U.S. made a five-point ultimatum to the Taliban:<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/20/gen.bush.transcript/ |title=Transcript of President Bush's address |publisher=CNN |date=21 September 2001 |access-date=27 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819021954/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/20/gen.bush.transcript/ |archive-date=19 August 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>
:* Deliver to the U.S. all of the leaders of al-Qaeda
:* Release all imprisoned foreign nationals
:* Close immediately every terrorist training camp
:* Hand over every terrorist and their supporters to appropriate authorities
:* Give the United States full access to terrorist training camps for inspection

On 21 September 2001, the [[Taliban]] rejected this ultimatum, stating there was no evidence in their possession linking bin Laden to the 11 September attacks.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/taliban-wont-turn-over-bin-laden/ |title=Taliban Won't Turn Over Bin Laden |publisher=CBS News |date=21 September 2001 |access-date=27 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415125820/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2001/09/11/world/main310852.shtml |archive-date=15 April 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 22 September 2001 the United Arab Emirates and later Saudi Arabia withdrew their recognition of the Taliban as the legal government of Afghanistan, leaving neighboring Pakistan as the only remaining country with diplomatic ties.

On 4 October 2001, it was reported that the Taliban covertly offered to turn bin Laden over to Pakistan for trial in an international tribunal that operated according to Islamic [[Sharia law|shar'ia law]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.j-n-v.org/AW_briefings/ARROW_briefing005.htm |title=Briefing 05: The Smoking Gun |publisher=J-n-v.org |date=8 October 2001 |access-date=27 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225052439/http://www.j-n-v.org/AW_briefings/ARROW_briefing005.htm |archive-date=25 February 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 7 October 2001, the Taliban proposed to try bin Laden in Afghanistan in an Islamic court.<ref>{{cite news|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415073508/http://articles.cnn.com/2001-10-07/us/ret.us.taliban_1_abdul-salam-zaeef-surrender-bin-taliban-offer?_s=PM%3AUS|archive-date=15 April 2011|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/10/07/ret.us.taliban/|title=U.S. rejects Taliban offer to try bin Laden|publisher=CNN|date=7 October 2001|access-date=6 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> This proposition was immediately rejected by the US.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/10/07/gen.america.under.attack/ |title=Bush to Taliban: 'Time is running out' |publisher=CNN |date=7 October 2001 |access-date=27 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100916091256/http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/10/07/gen.america.under.attack/ |archive-date=16 September 2010 }}</ref>

On 14 October 2001, the Taliban proposed to hand bin Laden over to a third country for trial, but only if they were given evidence of bin Laden's involvement in the events of 11 September 2001.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/waronterror/story/0,1361,573975,00.html |title=Bush rejects Taliban offer to hand Bin Laden over |work=The Guardian|location=UK |access-date=27 March 2011 |date=14 October 2001}}</ref>

The [[UN Security Council]], on 16 January 2002, unanimously established an arms embargo and the freezing of identifiable assets belonging to bin Laden, al-Qaeda, and the remaining Taliban.

===Combat operations start===
[[File:Fleet 5 nations.jpg|thumb|right|300px|5-country multinational fleet, during Operation Enduring Freedom in the Oman Sea. In four descending columns, from left to right: {{ship|Italian frigate|Maestrale|F570|2}}, {{ship|French frigate|De Grasse|D 612|2}}; {{USS|John C. Stennis}}, {{ship|French aircraft carrier|Charles de Gaulle|R91|2}}, {{ship|French frigate|Surcouf|F711|2}}; {{USS|Port Royal|CG-73|6}}, {{HMS|Ocean|L12|6}}, {{USS|John F. Kennedy|CV-67|6}}, {{HNLMS|Van Amstel|F831|6}}; and [[Italian destroyer Luigi Durand de la Penne (D 560)|Luigi Durand de la Penne]]]]

On Sunday 7 October 2001, American and British warplanes began fighting Taliban forces and al-Qaeda. Cruise missiles were fired from warships.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/07/ret.attack.bush/|title=Bush announces opening of attacks – October 7, 2001|publisher=CNN|access-date=2018-05-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028004104/http://www.cnn.com/2001/US/10/07/ret.attack.bush/|archive-date=28 October 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Afghan Northern Alliance|Northern Alliance]], aided by [[Joint Special Operations Command|Joint Special Operations]] teams consisting of Green Berets from the [[5th Special Forces Group (United States)|5th Special Forces Group]], aircrew members from the [[160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)|160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment]] (SOAR), and [[United States Air Force Combat Control Team|Air Force Combat Controllers]], fought against the Taliban. Aided by U.S. bombing and massive defections, they captured [[Mazar-i-Sharif]] on 9 November. They then rapidly gained control of most of northern Afghanistan, and took control of Kabul on 13 November after the Taliban unexpectedly fled the city. The Taliban were restricted to a smaller and smaller region, with [[Kunduz]], the last Taliban-held city in the north, captured on 26 November. Most of the Taliban fled to Pakistan.

The war continued in the south of the country, where the Taliban retreated to [[Kandahar]]. Whilst in Kandahar the Taliban agreed to surrender but the deal was rejected by Secretary of Defense [[Donald Rumsfeld]] as it would have provided amnesty to Taliban leader [[Mullah Mohammed Omar]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Knowlton|first=Brian|date=December 7, 2001|title=Rumsfeld Rejects PlanTo Allow Mullah Omar 'To Live in Dignity' : Taliban Fighters Agree to Surrender Kandahar|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/07/news/rumsfeld-rejects-planto-allow-mullah-omar-to-live-in-dignity-taliban.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/dec/06/afghanistan.markoliver|title=Taliban leader to surrender Kandahar|website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=6 December 2001}}</ref> After Kandahar fell in December,<ref>{{Cite book|title=From 9/11 to terror war : the dangers of the Bush legacy|last=Kellner|first=Douglas|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2003|isbn=0585463255|location=Lanham|pages=145|oclc=52802017}}</ref> remnants of the Taliban and al-Qaeda continued to [[Taliban insurgency|mount resistance]]. Meanwhile, in November 2001 the U.S. military and its allied forces established their first ground base in Afghanistan to the south west of [[Kandahar]], known as [[Camp Rhino|FOB Rhino]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/operation-enduring-freedom-the-first-49-days-8/|title=MEU(SOC)s in OEF-A – Special Operations Forces and Operation Enduring Freedom {{!}} Defense Media Network|work=Defense Media Network|access-date=2018-05-21|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620002020/https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/operation-enduring-freedom-the-first-49-days-8/|archive-date=20 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Battle of Tora Bora]], involving U.S., German, British and Northern Alliance forces took place in December 2001 to further destroy the Taliban and suspected al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. In early March 2002 the United States military, along with allied Afghan military forces, conducted a large operation to destroy al-Qaeda in an operation code-named [[Operation Anaconda]].

The operation was carried out by elements of the United States [[10th Mountain Division (United States)|10th Mountain Division]], [[101st Airborne Division]], the [[U.S. special forces]] groups TF 11, TF Bowie, TF Dagger, TF K-Bar, British [[Royal Marines]], the Norwegian ''[[Forsvarets Spesialkommando]]'', ''[[Hærens Jegerkommando]]'' and ''[[Marinejegerkommandoen]]'', Canada's 3rd Battalion [[Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry]], Canada's [[Joint Task Force 2]], the German [[Kommando Spezialkräfte|KSK]], and elements of the [[Australian Special Air Service Regiment]] and of the [[Special Air Service of New Zealand|New Zealand Special Air Service]] and the [[Afghan National Army]].

After managing to evade U.S. forces throughout the summer of 2002, the remnants of the Taliban gradually began to regain their confidence. A U.S. and Canadian led operation (supported by British and Dutch forces), [[Operation Mountain Thrust]] was launched in May 2006 to counter renewed Taliban insurgency.

Since January 2006, the [[NATO]] [[International Security Assistance Force]] undertook combat duties from Operation Enduring Freedom in southern Afghanistan, the NATO force chiefly made up of British, Canadian and Dutch forces (and some smaller contributions from Denmark, Romania and Estonia and air support from Norway as well as air and artillery support from the U.S.) (''see the article [[Coalition combat operations in Afghanistan in 2006]]''). The United States military also conducts military operations separate from NATO as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in other parts of Afghanistan, in areas such as Kandahar, Bagram, and Kabul (including [[Camp Eggers]] and [[Camp Phoenix]].)

===International support===
{{Main|Participants in Operation Enduring Freedom}}
The United States was supported by [[Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan: Allies|several nations]] during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan in 2001–2003 and in subsequent coalition operations directly or indirectly in support of OEF. See the article [[Afghanistan War order of battle]] for the disposition of coalition forces in Afghanistan as of 2012.

===Result===
[[File:Close Air Support (8260511841).jpg|thumb|[[McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II|AV-8B Harrier IIs]] from the [[United States Marine Corps]]' [[VMA-231]] provide [[close air support]] over [[Helmand Province]] in December 2012.]]

The U.S.-led coalition initially removed the [[Taliban]] from power and seriously crippled [[al-Qaeda]] and associated militants in Afghanistan. However, success in quelling the Taliban insurgency since the 2001 invasion has faltered. As the war dragged on, the Taliban demonstrated they could not be defeated also thanks to sanctuary in neighboring Pakistan.<ref>Brigitte L Nacos, 'Terrorism and Counterterrorism': Chapter 11, p.188</ref>

On 9 October 2004, Afghanistan elected [[Hamid Karzai]] president in its first direct elections. The following year, Afghans conducted the [[2005 Afghan parliamentary election]] on 18 September. Since the invasion, hundreds of schools and mosques have been constructed, millions of dollars in aid have been distributed, and the occurrence of violence has been reduced.

While military forces interdicted [[Insurgency|insurgents]] and assured some form of security, [[Provincial reconstruction team]]s were tasked with infrastructure building, such as constructing roads and bridges, assisting during floods, and providing food and water to [[Afghan refugees|refugees]]. Many warlords have participated in an allegiance program, formally recognizing the legitimacy of the government of Afghanistan, and formally surrendering their soldiers and weapons. Subsequent actions have led to questions about their true loyalties.

The [[Afghan National Army]], [[Afghan National Police]], and [[Afghan Border Police]] were being trained to assume the task of securing their nation.

On 31 December 2014, Operation Enduring Freedom concluded, and was succeeded by [[Operation Freedom's Sentinel]] on 1 January 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|date=19 February 2015|url=https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/id/128207/|title=Operation Freedom's Sentinel Qualifies for Campaign Medal|work=Defense|publisher=United States Department of Defense|author=United States Department of Defense|location=United States of America|access-date=19 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220080926/http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=128207|archive-date=20 February 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="bloomberg.com">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-18/trump-calls-biden-s-afghanistan-exit-greatest-embarrassment|title = Trump Calls Biden's Afghanistan Exit the 'Greatest Embarrassment'|newspaper = Bloomberg.com|date = 18 August 2021}}</ref>

In 2020, the US left Afghanistan to the Taliban under an agreement ensuring a safe passage for American forces out of the country by mid 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/world/asia/us-taliban-deal.html|title=Taliban and U.S. Strike Deal to Withdraw American Troops from Afghanistan|newspaper=The New York Times|date=29 February 2020|last1=Mashal|first1=Mujib}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2021/08/17/afghanistan-trump-deal-robert-crews-sot-nr-intl-hnk-vpx.cnn|title = Historian: Trump's deal with Taliban created a 'roadmap toward a surrender' - CNN Video| date=17 August 2021 }}</ref>
On 15 August 2021, all of Afghanistan, besides Kabul, was back in the hands of Taliban. By August 31, all US and allied forces departed the Hamid Karzai International Airport, thus ending any official operations within Afghanistan.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/16/world/asia/afghanistan-airport-evacuation-us-withdrawal.html|title = Chaos Ensues at Kabul Airport as Americans Abandon Afghanistan|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 16 August 2021|last1 = Gall|first1 = Carlotta|last2 = Khapalwak|first2 = Ruhullah}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/talibans-rapid-advance-across-afghanistan-2021-08-10/|title=Chaos, desperation at Kabul airport as Biden defends withdrawal from Afghanistan|newspaper=Reuters|date=17 August 2021}}</ref><ref name="bloomberg.com"/>

===Criticism===
{{Main|Criticism of the War on Terror}}
Hardliner newspapers in Iran and religious scholars in Lebanon suggested "Infinite Imperialism", "Infinite Arrogance", or "Infinite Injustice" might have been more appropriate name for the operation.<ref name="BBC News" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/1560903.stm|title=Analysis: Straw's visit divides Iran|date=2001-09-24|access-date=2019-02-19|language=en-GB|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219073303/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/1560903.stm|archive-date=19 February 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Osama's revenge : the next 9-11 : what the media and the government haven't told you|last=Williams|first=Paul L.|date=2004|publisher=Prometheus Books|isbn=1591022525|location=Amherst, NY|pages=[https://archive.org/details/osamasrevengenex00paul/page/68 68]|oclc=54823028|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/osamasrevengenex00paul/page/68}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Cultures of War: Pearl Harbor / Hiroshima / 9-11 / Iraq|last=Dower|first=John W.|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|year=2010|isbn=9780393080476|pages=466}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/Archive/2001/553/fall72.htm|title=As the British Foreign Secretary courts Iran to aid a US-led coalition against terrorism, Tehran struggles for consensus and considers the incentives for cooperation|last=Moaveni|first=Azadeh|date=27 September – 3 October 2001|work=Al-Ahram Weekly|access-date=2019-02-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219130115/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/Archive/2001/553/fall72.htm|archive-date=19 February 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

AFP, reporting on a news story in the Sunday, 3 April 2004, issue of ''[[The New Yorker]]'',<ref>{{Citation | title = South Asia | url = http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/78653/1/.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040405213413/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southasia/view/78653/1/.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2004-04-05 | publisher = Channel NewsAsia}}.</ref> wrote that retired Army Colonel Hy Rothstein, "who served in the [[United States Army Special Forces|Army Special Forces]] for more than 20 years [and was] commissioned by [[the Pentagon]] to examine the war in Afghanistan, concluded the conflict created conditions that have given 'warlordism, banditry and opium production a new lease on life.' "

The conduct of U.S. forces was criticised in a report entitled ''Enduring Freedom – Abuses by U.S. Forces in Afghanistan'' by U.S.-based human rights group [[Human Rights Watch]] in 2004. Some Pakistani scholars, such as [[Masood Ashraf Raja]], editor of [[Pakistaniaat: A Journal of Pakistan Studies|Pakistaniaat]], have also provided a more specific form of criticism that relates to the consequences of the Global War on Terrorism on the region.<ref>{{cite journal | year =2009|title= The Rhetoric of Democracy and War on Terror: The Case of Pakistan | journal= Pakistaniaat: A Journal of Pakistan Studies |volume=1|issue=2|pages=60–65}}</ref>