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Zusammenfassung von The American War in Afghanistan

Name: The American War in Afghanistan
Rating: 3.9 (125 reviews)
Author: Carter Malkasian

Carter Malkasian

A History

3.9 (125 Bewertungen)

26 Min.

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Politik der USA Krisen & Skandale Kriege Globale Politik Geschichte der USA

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The American War in Afghanistan
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What’s in it for me? An in-depth analysis of a costly conflict.

Late August 2021, sorties of C-17 transport planes depart Kabul. Onboard are hundreds of United States soldiers along with diplomatic attachés, civilian workers, and their families – this ends America’s longest armed conflict.

So, how did the US military arrive at this humbling exit? These blinks tell the entire story of America’s protracted 20-year invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. This analysis begins with the initial invasion in the aftermath of 9/11, tracks the military's escalating involvement throughout the Bush and Obama years, and culminates in the final, messy days before the country’s final withdrawal. Along the way, it details the innumerable cultural, strategic, and political hurdles which guided the path of the occupation.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

what makes Kandahar such a strategic province;
why Sufi’s fought the Taliban; and
how insurgent fighters outlasted a global empire.

The Afghanistan War is the latest dark chapter in a long, complex history.

Two decades is a long time – and it’s an especially long time for an armed occupation of a foreign land. Yet, from the fall of 2001 to the summer of 2021, the United States military sustained a constant footprint in the nation of Afghanistan.

This lengthy occupation endured through four presidential administrations, burnt through 15 US generals, and drew on the labor of hundreds of thousands of American troops. Not only that, it extended Afghanistan’s already drawn-out civil war and disrupted millions of Afghan lives with violence and destruction.

Looking back, it’s clear that the war reshaped global politics, American military strategy, and Afghan society. Though today, the true legacy of the conflict remains complex, muddled, and marred by failure and disappointment.

The key message here is: The Afghanistan War is the latest dark chapter in a long, complex history.

It’s difficult to summarize a country as complex as Afghanistan. The nation stands at a crucial crossroads between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Its landscape is rough and beautiful, defined by steep rocky mountains and dry, desolate deserts. Its population of around 33 million people lives mostly rural lives aside from the bustling city of Herat in the east and Kabul, the capital, in the west.

The people of Afghanistan are ethnically and culturally diverse. Ethnic Pashtuns from the east and south make up around 40 percent of the population and have traditionally been the dominant group. Tajiks in the north and west constitute the second largest group while Hazaras, Uzbeks, and Nuristanis also have a large presence.

The country has a rich and layered history. Since its official foundation in 1747, the state has fended off near-constant foreign invasions. From 1839 to 1919, the British made three failed attempts to colonize the region. Then, after decades of self-rule, the country was besieged again in 1978, this time by the Soviet Union. But, after a destructive and destabilizing decade, this foray also failed.

After the Soviet withdrawal, the country was fractured between rival tribal regions. This power vacuum allowed a new political force, the Taliban, to seize control. Beginning in 1994, this militant group of Islamic fundamentalists headed by Mullah Mohammed Omar slowly pacified the region while implementing a series of strict social and economic reforms. While the Taliban created a unified Afghan polity, it did so with a rigid interpretation of Islamic law – women’s rights were severely curtailed and religious extremism flourished.

The US invasion of Afghanistan succeeded quickly then slowly failed.

On September 11, 2001, terrorists flew hijacked passenger planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. On October 7, the United States military launched initial airstrikes on targets in Afghanistan.

The weeks between these two events were pivotal. American intelligence quickly identified al-Qa‘eda as the perpetrators of the attack. This militant Islamic group was headed by Osama bin Laden and headquartered in Afghanistan. Using intermediates in the Pakistani military, the Bush administration demanded that the Taliban turn over bin Laden and all al-Qa‘eda operatives.

A Taliban counter-offensive allowed the party to form a new base of support.

The years 2002 to 2005 were deceptively peaceful. Backed by US power, Karzai’s government oversaw the country’s post-war reconstruction by carefully balancing ethnic tensions and lending regional governors broad powers to manage their given provinces.

Yet, below the surface, tensions rose. Outside Kabul, the Taliban retained widespread popularity and continued to train fighters and receive funding from outposts in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the US military was losing support as botched military operations regularly killed civilians – for instance, in 2002, US forces bombed a wedding party, killing 54 people.

Drawn out combat in the eastern front further hampered US forces.

In the years following 2006, the southern theater of the Afghan War was in turmoil. The Taliban made steady inroads throughout the region and the American, Afghan, and newly-arrived NATO forces were often undersupplied and outmaneuvered.

Yet, despite these dismal conditions, the southern command was at least coherent. Battle lines were relatively distinct and the objectives for both sides were clear. In contrast, the eastern edge of the war was in complete disarray. Here, American and Afghan troops were pitted against a harsher, more mountainous environment and a diverse array of enemy forces beyond the unified front of the Taliban.

The Surge changed the course of the war, but only for a short time.

It’s January 2009 and Barack Obama has a decision to make. The newly-elected president has inherited the Afghan War from his predecessor. Now, as commander in chief, it’s his duty to chart a course forward.

The central question revolves around a plan known as the Surge. This strategy will entail committing an additional 20,000 troops to the battlegrounds of Afghanistan. Military top-brass like General David McKiernan argue that this boost in personnel, along with new techniques in counter-insurgency developed in Iraq, can change the tide of the war.

Local uprisings cooled Taliban support but failed to unify behind the central government.

April 2012. A cadre of Taliban fighters is locked in a fierce battle in the rural Ghazni Province southwest of Kabul. For hours they exchange fire with their assailants before finally retreating into the countryside.

Oddly enough, these Taliban weren’t routed by American marines or even Afghan forces sent by the interim government. No, in this skirmish they were trounced by an Andar independent militia – and importantly, this wasn’t an isolated incident.

Wavering support doomed the already weak Afghan state.

As 2014 rolled into 2015, Afghanistan was again at a turning point – and unfortunately, it wasn’t turning in a positive direction.

For one, the so-called unity government was actually shaky and divided. Ashraf Ghani served as president while Abdullah Abdullah worked as his chief executive officer. Both men struggled for control and everything from cabinet appointments to economic reforms were hotly contested. The rivalry kept the state in perpetual gridlock.

Under Donald Trump, the US agreed to end its presence in Afghanistan.

Donald Trump was never known for his decorum. Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, he regularly made headlines for his rants, outbursts, and off-the-cuff remarks. As president, little changed – only now his wild temperament steered the course of a foreign war.

After assuming office, Trump convened a series of meetings with Secretary of Defense James Mattis and the generals who were currently overseeing Afghanistan operations. In these high-tension gatherings, the new president raged about the current state of the war. He was mad that the US was losing control and furious that it was making him look bad.

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Worum geht es in The American War in Afghanistan?

The American War in Afghanistan (2021) is an in-depth look at one of the defining conflicts of the twenty-first century. This exhaustively-researched analysis dives into the details of this protracted and complex military occupation.

Wer The American War in Afghanistan lesen sollte

Engaged citizens keen to keep up with current events
Civilians seeking insight into military matters
Anyone eager to understand a complex conflict

Über den Autor

Carter Malkasian was the special assistant for strategy to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2015 to 2019. His previous works include War Comes to Garmser and Illusions of Victory.

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