22 years ago today, American soldiers and their allies invaded Afghanistan under the pretext of fighting terrorist organizations. On August 31, 2021, the final American forces member withdrew from Afghanistan following 20 years of occupation.
On September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center and Pentagon were attacked in the United States. The attack, according to American officials left nearly 3,000 people dead, and more than 2,500 others wounded.
In response, then US president George W. Bush ordered action.
“On my order, the United States military has begun strikes against al-Qaeda training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan,” said George. W. Bush, the former US president.
“The worst human crimes took place in Afghanistan, as you mentioned, we witnessed the aimless bombings at celebrations, villages, and people’s houses,” said Sayed Hashim Javad Balkhabi, a political analyst.
After the Taliban refused to turn over the leaders of Al-Qaeda to American forces on October 7, 2001, the American military launched an attack on the current Afghan government with the support of British soldiers.
Hamid Karzai was chosen as the interim president of Afghanistan on December 5, 2001, following the signing of the Bonn Agreement.
The number of foreign troops in Afghanistan increased and decreased over the past two decades.
Barack Obama ordered an increase in the number of US military personnel in Afghanistan in December 2009, and despite there already being 70,000 troops stationed there, an additional 35,000 US troops were sent.
