- Title: Timeline of U.S. war in Afghanistan Sept 2001 to August 2021
- Date: 30th August 2021
- Summary: The Pentagon carpet-bombing the Taliban with giant B-52 bombers near Bagram's airbase north of Kabul, at the beginning of the U.S. military campaign, after the September 11 attacks. Its public goals at that time were to dismantle al Qaeda, and to deny it a safe base of operations in Afghanistan by removing the Taliban from power. BAGRAM, AFGHANISTAN (FILE - SEPTEMBER 2001) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) U.S. BOMBER PLANE FLYING SMOKE RISING FROM EXPLOSIONS SOLDIERS RUNNING AWAY FROM ARTILLERY FIRING ROCKET LAUNCHER MOUNTED ON MILITARY TRUCK BEING FIRED Following the U.S. bombing campaign, thousands of protesters set fire to the U.S. embassy in Kabul. KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (FILE - OCTOBER, 2001) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) TALIBANS PROTESTING / U.S. EMBASSY BURNING VEHICLE BURNING Afghan and the Northern Alliance soldiers headed towards the capital Kabul after the Taliban regime collapsed. BAGRAM, AFGHANISTAN (FILE - 2001) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF NORTHERN ALLIANCE MILITARY VEHICLES DRIVING TOWARDS KABUL Residents of Kabul celebrated the collapse of the Taliban regime as they danced on the street and shaved their beards, which were mandatory under the Afghan Taliban. KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (FILE - 2001) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) CROWDS CELEBRATING EXTERIOR OF BARBER SHOP VARIOUS OF MEN GETTING THEIR BEARDS SHAVED The first conference for Afghanistan was held in Bonn, Germany soon after the fall of the Taliban regime to establish a transitional government in Kabul. BONN, GERMANY (FILE - DECEMBER 5, 2001) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) MINISTERS GATHERING FOR SIGNING OF BONN AGREEMENT FORMER AFGHAN MILITIA LEADER PACHA KHAN ZADRAN (LEFT) SIGNING AGREEMENT Then-U.S. President George Bush held a news conference announcing the defeat of the Taliban by the U.S. and its allies. WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (FILE - DECEMBER 12, 2001) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) THEN U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH ADDRESSING REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) THEN U.S. PRESIDENT, GEORGE W. BUSH, SAYING: "Thanks to our military and our allies and the brave fighters of Afghanistan, the Taliban regime is coming to an end." International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldiers patrolled the streets of Kabul after the fall of Taliban. KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (FILE - DECEMBER, 2001) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ASSISTANCE FORCE (ISAF) VEHICLES DRIVING ISAF SOLDIER PATROLLING ISAF VEHICLE DRIVING Afghans voters turned up in Kandahar to take part in the first presidential election since the fall of Taliban. KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN (FILE - OCTOBER 9, 2004) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) POLLING STATION IN KANDAHAR VARIOUS OF MAN PLACING HIS BALLOT INTO THE BOX
- Embargoed: 13th September 2021 20:07
- Keywords: Afghan President Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani Barack Obama Biden Bush Donald Trump George W ISAF Joe Biden NATO Northern Alliance Sept. 11 Taliban U.S. U.S. President U.S. troops insurgency military violence war withdrawal
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Defence,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001ESHQWJR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A look back at the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks in 2001.
On July 2, 2021 American troops pulled out of their main military base in Bagram, Afghanistan on July 2 under an agreement with the Taliban allowing for the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from the country after a two-decade war.
At a news conference on July 8, President Biden delivered his most extensive comments to date about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan under pressure from critics to give more explanation for his decision to withdraw, amid new concerns about the possibility of a civil war in the country.
When asked if a Taliban takeover of the war-torn country was inevitable, Biden simply answered, "
A little more than a month later, the Taliban, who ruled from 1996 to 2001, swept back to power and routed the U.S.-backed Afghan army as foreign forces withdrew.
President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday (August 15) as the bearded Islamist militants entered Kabul virtually unopposed, saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed.
It took the Taliban just over a week to seize control of the whole country after a lightning sweep that ended in Kabul as government forces, trained for years and equipped by the United States and others at a cost of billions of dollars, melted away.
People thronged to Kabul airport from late on Sunday, wandering around the runways in the dark, pulling luggage and jostling for a place on one of the last commercial flights to leave before U.S. forces took over air traffic control.
When the U.S. forces gave up Bagram to the Afghan government in July, it left Kabul's airport as the only way out of the country, to the anger of many Afghans.
The Pentagon on Sunday authorized another 1,000 troops to help evacuate U.S. citizens and Afghans who worked for them, expanding its security presence on the ground to almost 6,000 troops within the next 48 hours.
The White House said the next few days were likely to be the most dangerous of the evacuation operation. The United States and allies have taken about 113,500 people out of Afghanistan in the past two weeks, it said.
On August 26, 2021, U.S. forces helping evacuate Afghans desperate to flee Taliban rule were on alert for more attacks after an Islamic State suicide bombing outside Kabul airport killed at least 92 people, including 13 U.S. service members.
(Production: Deborah Lutterbeck) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
