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Afghanistan

Afghanistan. Directly after 9/11 the Taliban control 90% of Afghanistan Refuse to hand over Bin Laden or expel al-Qaeda By late 2001, CIA and special forces operatives join the Northern Alliance

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Afghanistan

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  1. Afghanistan Directly after 9/11 the Taliban control 90% of Afghanistan Refuse to hand over Bin Laden or expel al-Qaeda By late 2001, CIA and special forces operatives join the Northern Alliance By 2002 – 350 special forces soldiers, 100 CIA operatives, 15,000 Northern Alliance soldiers defeat 50,000 Taliban

  2. Victory? • Bin Laden escapes into the Northern tribal region of Pakistan • US shifts emphasis when war in Iraq begins in 2003 • Taliban flees into Northern Pakistan and begins to expand South bringing Sharia law with them • Pakistani government reluctant/unable to challenge Taliban

  3. Afghanistan and Obama • Obama campaigns on a promise to withdraw troops from Iraq and put them in Afghanistan • End of Bush presidency and start of Obama administration see doubling of US troops (to 60,000) • By 2009 -- UK: 6,800; Germany: 3,400; France: 2,700 Casualties: Taliban -- 20,000 killed US -- 687 killed Afghani security forces – 4,500 killed Northern Alliance – 200 killed Current Taliban and al-Qaeda strength (estimate) 9,000-13,000

  4. Why the war in Iraq? • Weapons of Mass Destruction • Sanctions – food for oil, corruption • Suffering Civilian Iraqi population • No-fly zones, US troops still in Saudi Arabia • Sadam Hussein’s brutality • Spread democracy • Psychological?

  5. Iraq War • Conventional war goes very well (250,000 US and 45,000 British soldiers capture Baghdad in three weeks) • Military unprepared for massive looting • Kurds, Shias happy – Sunnis nervous • US disbands Iraqi army

  6. Iraq War – 1st stage • 2004-2007 • Sunnis launch resistance campaign against US troops • al-Qaeda foments civil war – attacks al-Askari shrine • Concerns over Shia alliance with Iran • US strategy – heavily defended bases, patrols, searching for enemy

  7. Iraq War – 2nd stage • Starting in 2007 • “Awakening Councils” created in Sunni areas – assisted by al-Qaeda brutality • Troops stationed in neighborhoods and live among civilian population • Walls built between Shia and Sunni neighborhoods in Baghdad General Petraeus

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