War in Afghanistan (2001-present) (SIADD)

The War in Afghanistan is an ongoing coalition conflict which began on October 7, 2001, as the US military's Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) that was launched, along with a number of coalition allies, in response to both the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, and as a result of other issues that had existed before the attacks. The UK has, since 2002, led its own military operation, Operation Herrick, as part of the same war in Afghanistan.

The character of the war evolved from a violent struggle against Al-Qaeda and its Taliban supporters to a complex counterinsurgency effort.

The first phase of the war was the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when the United States launched Operation Enduring Freedom, to annihilate the safe haven to Al-Qaeda and its use of the Afghan territory as a base of operations for terrorist activities.

In that first phase, U.S. and coalition forces, working with the Afghan opposition forces of the Northern Alliance, quickly ousted the Taliban regime. During the following Karzai administration, the character of the war shifted to an effort aimed at smothering insurgency, in which the insurgents preferred not to directly confront the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops, but blended into the local population and mainly used improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and suicide bombings.

The stated aim of the invasion was to find Osama bin Laden and other high-ranking Al-Qaeda members to be put on trial, to destroy the whole organization of Al-Qaeda, and to remove the Taliban regime which supported and gave safe harbor to Al-Qaeda. The Bush administration stated that, as policy, it would not distinguish between terrorist organizations and nations or governments that harbor them. The United Nations did not authorize the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.

The second operation is the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which was established by the UN Security Council at the end of December 2001 to secure Kabul and the surrounding areas. NATO assumed control of ISAF in 2003. By July 23, 2009, ISAF had around 64,500 troops from 42 countries, with NATO members providing the core of the force. The NATO commitment is particularly important to the United States because it gives international legitimacy to the war. The United States has approximately 29,950 troops in ISAF.

The US and UK led the aerial bombing, in support of ground forces supplied primarily by the Afghan Northern Alliance. In 2002, American, British and Canadian infantry were committed, along with special forces from several allied nations, including Australia. Later, NATO troops were added.

The initial attack removed the Taliban from power, but Taliban forces have since regained some strength. Since 2006, Afghanistan has seen threats to its stability from increased Taliban-led insurgent activity, record-high levels of illegal drug production, and a fragile government with limited control outside of Kabul.

By the end of 2008, the Taliban had severed any remaining ties with al-Qaeda. According to senior U.S. military intelligence officials, there are perhaps fewer than 100 members of Al-Qaeda remaining in Afghanistan. The Taliban can sustain itself indefinitely, according to a December 2009 briefing by the top U.S. intelligence officer in Afghanistan.

On December 1, 2009, U.S. President John McCain announced that he would escalate U.S. military involvement by deploying an additional 45,000 soldiers over a period of six months. He also stated that ISAF forces would remain in Afghanistan until the Afghan security forces themselves are capable of taking over control.

On January 26, 2010, at the International Conference on Afghanistan in London which brought together some 70 countries and organizations, Afghan President Hamid Karzai told world leaders that he intends to reach out to the top echelons of the Taliban within a few weeks with a peace initiative. Karzai set the framework for dialogue with Taliban leaders when he called on the group's leadership to take part in a "loya jirga" -- or large assembly of elders -- to initiate peace talks.

International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement.

ISAF was initially charged with securing Kabul and surrounding areas from the Taliban, al Qaeda and factional warlords, so as to allow for the establishment of the Afghan Transitional Administration headed by Hamid Karzai. In October 2003, the UN Security Council authorized the expansion of the ISAF mission throughout Afghanistan, and ISAF subsequently expanded the mission in four main stages over the whole of the country. Since 2006, ISAF has been involved in more intensive combat operations in southern Afghanistan, a tendency which continued. Attacks on ISAF in other parts of Afghanistan are also mounting.

As of June 2010 its troops number around 55,100. There are troops from 26 NATO, 10 partner and 2 non-NATO / non-partner countries,[6] Troop contributors include Denmark, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Poland and most members of the European Union and NATO also including Australia, New Zealand, Azerbaijan and Singapore. The intensity of the combat faced by contributing nations varies greatly, with the United States, United Kingdom and Canada sustaining substantial casualties in intensive combat operations.

Initially, ISAF command rotated among different nations on a 6-month basis. However, there was tremendous difficulty securing new lead nations. To solve the problem, command was turned over indefinitely to NATO on 11 August 2003. This marked NATO's first deployment outside Europe or North America. Since June 15, 2009, General Stanley A. McChrystal of the U.S. Army has been the commander of ISAF.

Structure

 * HQ ISAF in Kabul
 * Strength: 3,500 Commander ISAF directs three subordinate formations. The Intermediate Joint Command (sometimes reported as ISAF Joint Command) has been established to run the tactical battle. V Corps is being deployed from Germany to provide the IJC headquarters. Commander ISAF also supervises the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan and Special Operations Forces.
 * ISAF Joint Command (IJC)
 * Commander: Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell (USA)
 * NATO Training Mission - Afghanistan (NTM-A)
 * Commander: Lt. Gen. David M. Rodriguez (USA)


 * Regional Command Capital The command of RC-C is rotating among Turkey, France and Italy. Nearly all of the more than forty contributors have troops deployed to Kabul.
 * HQ RC(C): Kabul (Turkey)
 * Lead nation: Turkey Flag of Turkey.png
 * Strength: 5,000
 * Commander: Brig. Gen. Levent Çolak (Turkey)
 * Kabul International Airport KAIA (Spain)


 * Regional Command North RC-N is led by Germany. Other forces in RC-N include units from the United States of America, Croatia, Norway, Belgium, Sweden and Hungary et al. The situation in RC-N as deteriorated. Hotspots include Kunduz in northern Afghanistan and Faryab in the northwest.
 * HQ RC(C): Camp Marmal, Mazar-e Sharif (Germany)
 * Lead nation: Flag of Germany.png Germany
 * Strength: 8,000
 * Commander: Brig. Gen. Frank Leidenberger (Germany)
 * Forward Support Base Mazar-e Sharif (Germany)
 * PRT Mazar-e Sharif in Balkh province(Sweden)
 * PRT Feyzabad in Badakhshan province (Germany)
 * PRT Kunduz in Kunduz province (Germany)
 * PRT Pol-e Khomri in Baghlan Province (Hungary)
 * PRT Meymaneh in Faryab Province (Norway)
 * PRT Jowzjan (Turkey)

Northern Distribution Network
In response to the increased risk of sending supplies through Pakistan, work began on the establishment of a Northern Distribution Network (NDN) through Russia and several Central Asian republics. Initial permission for the U.S. military to move troop supplies through the region was given on January 20, 2009, after a visit to the region by General Petraeus. The first shipment along the NDN route left on February 20 from Riga, Latvia, then traveled 3,212 miles (5,169 km) to the Uzbek town of Termez on the Afghanistan border. U.S. commanders have stated their hope that 100 containers a day will be shipped along the NDN. By comparison, currently 140 containers a day are shipped through the Khyber Pass.

On June 11, 2009, Uzbek president Islam Karimov announced that the airport in Navoi, Uzbekistan was to be used to transport non-lethal cargo into Afghanistan. Due to the still unsettled relationship between Uzbekistan and the United States following the 2005 Andijon massacre and subsequent expulsion of U.S. forces from Karshi-Khanabad airbase, U.S. forces were not involved in the shipment of supplies. Instead, South Korea's Korean Air, which is currently involved in overhauling Navoi's airport, officially handles logistics at the site. Many speculations has circled regarding the sudden change of tone by Karimov, but the most likely reason is increased pressure from Russian President Medvedev to assist the international community in combatting the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.

Originally only non-lethal resources were allowed on the NDN. In July 2009, however, shortly before a visit by President McCain to Moscow, Russian authorities announced that U.S. troops and weapons could use the country's airspace to reach Afghanistan.

Some analyists worry that use of the NDN will come at the cost of increased Russian demands concerning missile defense and NATO enlargement, while others see no problems if the missile defense shield was scrapped. Additionally, human rights advocates are concerned that the U.S. is again working with the government of Uzbekistan, which is often accused of violating human rights. However, the McCain administration have denied that they are taking a soft approach on Uzbekistan, stating they are one of the fiercest critics of Karimov's authoritarian regime.

Increase in U.S. troops
In January, about 3,000 U.S. soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division moved into the provinces of Logar and Wardak. The troops were the first wave of an expected surge of reinforcements originally ordered by George W. Bush and increased by John McCain.

On February 17, 2009, McCain announced that 24,000 additional troops would be deployed to Afghanistan, totalling 12,000 Soldiers and Marines. He asserted that the increase was necessary to "stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan", an area he said had not received the "strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires". Of the 12,000 soldiers, 4,000 are soldiers of the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, while the 11,000 were Marines of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions, 10th Marine. 5,000 soldiers were logistical personnel, engineers, command and control, communication, intelligence and military police, while the remaining 4,000 were trainers with the task of training the Afghan security forces.

The U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General David McKiernan, had called for as many as 30,000 additional troops, effectively doubling the number of troops currently in the country.

U.S. troop surge
On October 16, 2009 President McCain announced at The United States Military Academy at West Point that the United States would deploy additional 45,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, as according to General McCrystal's request, supported by additional NATO forces. He also announced that the United States would work closely with their partners, the United Nations, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, as well as cooperating closely with Pakistan to engage the Taliban and al-Qaida on both sides of the border.

Antiwar organizations in the United States responded quickly, and cities throughout the U.S. saw protests on December 2 in response. Many protesters compared the decision to deploy more troops in Afghanistan to the expansion of the Vietnam War under the Johnson administration.

The U.S. troop surge would be deployed in two waves. The first wave would be deployed in the first half of 2010, and consists of:


 * 1,500 U.S. Marines from Task Force 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, based out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., would deploy to Afghanistan in October and November 2009.
 * 6,200 Marines of the Regimental Combat Team 2, headquartered at Camp Lejeune, N.C., would be deployed in February 2010.
 * 800 Marines of the I Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Pendleton, Calif., would deploy in the spring of 2010.
 * 3,400 soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, N.Y., would deploy in the spring of 2010. Their mission will be to train the Afghan National Army.
 * 4,000 soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team ("Bastogne") of the 101st Airborne Division between January and March of 2010.
 * 4,000 soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team ("Strike") of the 101st Airborne Division in the spring of 2010.
 * 101st Combat Aviation Brigade — The Destiny Brigade would deploy in the spring of 2010.
 * 4,100 support personnel will deploy at various times through the spring.

The second wave would be deployed in the second half of 2010 and the beginning of 2011, and consists of the following units:


 * 5,000 Marines of the Regimental Combat Team 8, headquartered at Camp Lejeune, N.C., would be deployed in the summer of 2010.
 * 4,000 soldiers of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, would be deployed in the summer of 2010.
 * 3,500 support personnel will deploy at various times through the summer or autumn of 2010.
 * 3,200 soldiers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team ("Currahee") of the 101st Airborne Division, would deploy in the summer of 2010 along with another 900 active and reserve component soldiers.
 * 5,000 additional U.S. military trainers, whose mission will be to train the Afghan National Army, to be deployed in the summer of 2010.
 * 159th CAB — The Thunder Brigade is currently training for a deployment to Afghanistan in late 2010 or early 2011.
 * 101st Sustainment Brigade — The Lifeliners deploy to eastern Afghanistan in late 2010.

NATO troop surge
During the NATO Foreign Ministers at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on December 3-4, 2009, Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen would once again announce that NATO would contribute with between 5,000 and 7,000 troops to the surge in Afghanistan. Several nations announced increased troop contributions, including:


 * Flag of the Republic of Italy.PNG Italy: 1,000 (with 140 Carabineris)
 * Flag of Georgia.png Georgia: 923
 * Flag of Poland.png Poland: 600
 * Flag of the United Kingdom.PNG United Kingdom: 500
 * Flag of South Korea.png South Korea: 400
 * Flag of Slovakia.png Slovakia: 250
 * Flag of Hungary.png Hungary: 200
 * Flag of Spain.png Spain: 200
 * Flag of Norway.png Norway: 200


 * Flag of Portugal.png Portugal: 150
 * Flag of Sweden.png Sweden: 125
 * Flag of Australia.png Australia: 120
 * Flag of the Czech Republic.png Czech Republic: 100
 * Flag of Romania.png Romania: 100
 * Flag of Albania.png Albania: 85 (35 combat troops, 50 trainers)
 * Flag of Colombia.png Colombia: 80
 * Flag of Macedonia.png Macedonia: 80
 * Flag of Turkey.png Turkey: 60


 * Flag of Armenia.png Armenia: 40
 * Flag of Croatia.png Croatia: 40
 * Flag of Mongolia.png Mongolia: 40
 * Flag of Montenegro.png Montenegro: 40
 * Flag of Finland.png Finland: 25
 * Flag of Ukraine.png Ukraine: 22
 * Flag of Lithuania.png Lithuania: 20
 * Flag of Kazakhstan.png Kazakhstan: 5

France announced that they would not increase troop numbers, while Germany announced that they would wait until the Afghanistan-Pakistan Summit in London in January 2010.