The United States has been at war in Afghanistan for 16 years, making it the longest conflict in our nation’s history. With no end in sight, we look back at the war's biggest moments.
Sept. 18, 2001
- A joint resolution to bring those responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks to justice is signed by President George W. Bush
Oct. 7, 2001
- Operation “Enduring Freedom” begins in Afghanistan as U.S. and British troops begin bombing the country through air strikes
December, 2001
- Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden escapes capture early in the war after Afghan militants track his location to a cave near Kabul
March, 2002
- The biggest ground assault in Afghanistan begins as over 7,000 U.S. troops are now in the country leading the allied forces
Aug. 8, 2003
- The situation progresses to the point that NATO officially assumes command of security operations in Afghanistan
Oct. 29, 2004
- Three weeks after Hamid Karzai is named the new President of Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden releases a videotaped message bashing the Bush administration while taking responsibility for the Sept. 11 attacks
May 23, 2005
- President George W. Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai announce a joint strategic agreement between countries
July, 2006
- A massive spike in violence occurs when suicide attacks and bombings increase while many blame the government for failing to control these eruptions
May, 2011
- A well-known and key Taliban military commander, Mullah Dadullah, is killed by a combination of Afghan, U.S., and NATO forces in the south of Afghanistan.
Oct. 7, 2011
- 100,000 U.S. troops are on the ground on the 10-year anniversary of the U.S. war in Afghanistan
Feb. 17, 2009
- Newly-elected President Barack Obama shows his commitment to ending the terrorist forces in Afghanistan by announcing 17,000 more troops will be sent to the country to fight
Dec. 1, 2009
- In a nationally televised speech, President Barack Obama announces the U.S. is sending an additional 30,000 troops to the front lines in Afghanistan to join the already 68,000
August, 2010
- A total of 100,000 U.S. troops are now in Afghanistan
May 1, 2011
- Osama Bin Laden is killed during a special U.S. operations raid after he was found hiding in Pakistan
June, 2013
- NATO gives Afghan forces security responsibility nationwide as U.S. forces began to focus on counter-terrorism military training
May 27, 2014
- President Obama reveals his plan to pull almost all U.S. soldiers out of Afghanistan by the end of 2016
Oct. 15, 2015
- President Obama changes course by saying the current 9,800 troops will remain in Afghanistan through 2016 due to a revived Taliban
Aug. 21, 2017
- President Donald Trump reveals his policy on Afghanistan, saying he will monitor the situation on the ground and continue to have an open mind regarding the commitment from the U.S. military in the country
