Invasion of Afganistan
After the September 8th meeting, planning began for a potential invasion of Afghanistan involving the various countries that would be part of the Coalition. It was quickly decided that the invasion forces would be under UN command and commanded by a general from the Maldives. It was hoped by many including President Gore that the plans would not be needed. That hope was dashed on October 4th when the Taliban informed the international community that members of Al-Qaeda would not be surrendered. Operation Lasting Liberty began the next day and initiated the then latest phase of the long running Afghan Civil War. Taliban air defenses and training camps were among the first targets of the Coalition.
However these targets were rapidly exhausted due to the sheer number of airstrikes. As Coalition air power pounded Taliban targets across the country, ground operations made rapid gains against the Taliban. In the north Northern Alliance forces with the support of thousands of soldiers from the former Soviet republics of Central Asia pushed south with the air forces of CSTO providing close air support. In the west Iranians troops rapidly advanced across the border. Along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Pakistan’s military along with forces from various Coalition countries engaged the forces of the Taliban and their allies.
Coalition aircraft would for the first 72 hours of Operation Lasting Liberty pound the Tora Bora cave complex of the White Mountains due to intelligence indicating Osama Bin Laden being present. On the fourth day Coalition special forces entered the cave complex. When they left all members of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda that had been in the cave complex were dead. Including Osama Bin Laden. Cities and villages rapidly began to fall to the Northern Alliance forces and the Coalition. On October 20th, after a two day battle the city of Mazar-i-Sharif fell. Eight days later Kunduz, the last major Taliban presence in the north fell. On October 30th Kandahar fell after several weeks of combat. Though even before these cities fell, the Taliban was in decline. Nine days after Operation Lasting Liberty began the Taliban abandoned Kabul.
This was viewed as a rather controversial move by the rank and file of the Taliban. The Taliban leadership however viewed this as a necessary move. They had no delusions that Kabul wouldn’t fall. It was only a matter of time. Rather than have men and resources wasted defending a doomed city they planned to fight a guerilla war against the Coalition. To bleed this latest foreign invasion until they quit like the Soviets before them. This strategy had a number of flaws. First the Taliban unlike the Afghan rebels of the 80’s, they had very few allies and supporters due to the actions of Al Qaeda. So no massive flow of arms and ammunition.
Or shelter provided by nearby countries. Second the Taliban’s actions over the last five years had alienated much of Afghanistan's population. As a result the Taliban would struggle to fill their depleted manpower. Third Coalition troop numbers were far greater than what the Soviets deployed to Afghanistan and as result could secure control of the country to a degree the Soviets were not able to.
However the leaders of the Taliban would not live to see this strategy put into action. Most of them would be killed in either firefights with Coalition ground forces or by airstrikes. Mohammed Omar Mujahid along with several Taliban fighters were killed by the latter on October 18th. By early 2001 the Taliban were finished as a group. Though remnants of the Taliban would continue the fight in Afghanistan and expand it to other countries.
-The War on Terror
After the September 8th meeting, planning began for a potential invasion of Afghanistan involving the various countries that would be part of the Coalition. It was quickly decided that the invasion forces would be under UN command and commanded by a general from the Maldives. It was hoped by many including President Gore that the plans would not be needed. That hope was dashed on October 4th when the Taliban informed the international community that members of Al-Qaeda would not be surrendered. Operation Lasting Liberty began the next day and initiated the then latest phase of the long running Afghan Civil War. Taliban air defenses and training camps were among the first targets of the Coalition.
However these targets were rapidly exhausted due to the sheer number of airstrikes. As Coalition air power pounded Taliban targets across the country, ground operations made rapid gains against the Taliban. In the north Northern Alliance forces with the support of thousands of soldiers from the former Soviet republics of Central Asia pushed south with the air forces of CSTO providing close air support. In the west Iranians troops rapidly advanced across the border. Along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, Pakistan’s military along with forces from various Coalition countries engaged the forces of the Taliban and their allies.
Coalition aircraft would for the first 72 hours of Operation Lasting Liberty pound the Tora Bora cave complex of the White Mountains due to intelligence indicating Osama Bin Laden being present. On the fourth day Coalition special forces entered the cave complex. When they left all members of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda that had been in the cave complex were dead. Including Osama Bin Laden. Cities and villages rapidly began to fall to the Northern Alliance forces and the Coalition. On October 20th, after a two day battle the city of Mazar-i-Sharif fell. Eight days later Kunduz, the last major Taliban presence in the north fell. On October 30th Kandahar fell after several weeks of combat. Though even before these cities fell, the Taliban was in decline. Nine days after Operation Lasting Liberty began the Taliban abandoned Kabul.
This was viewed as a rather controversial move by the rank and file of the Taliban. The Taliban leadership however viewed this as a necessary move. They had no delusions that Kabul wouldn’t fall. It was only a matter of time. Rather than have men and resources wasted defending a doomed city they planned to fight a guerilla war against the Coalition. To bleed this latest foreign invasion until they quit like the Soviets before them. This strategy had a number of flaws. First the Taliban unlike the Afghan rebels of the 80’s, they had very few allies and supporters due to the actions of Al Qaeda. So no massive flow of arms and ammunition.
Or shelter provided by nearby countries. Second the Taliban’s actions over the last five years had alienated much of Afghanistan's population. As a result the Taliban would struggle to fill their depleted manpower. Third Coalition troop numbers were far greater than what the Soviets deployed to Afghanistan and as result could secure control of the country to a degree the Soviets were not able to.
However the leaders of the Taliban would not live to see this strategy put into action. Most of them would be killed in either firefights with Coalition ground forces or by airstrikes. Mohammed Omar Mujahid along with several Taliban fighters were killed by the latter on October 18th. By early 2001 the Taliban were finished as a group. Though remnants of the Taliban would continue the fight in Afghanistan and expand it to other countries.
-The War on Terror
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