American participation in the war in Afghanistan

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The United States first led the war in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom . After ISAF assumed responsibility beyond the capital of Afghanistan , the United States subordinated large parts of its armed forces operating in Afghanistan to ISAF and took over its command. Even after the end of the ISAF mission, US forces remained stationed in Afghanistan.

Legal basis

One day after the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 , which adopted the UN Security Council that Resolution 1368 . This resolution condemned the events of September 11, 2001 as atrocious terrorist attacks and as a threat to international peace and security. The resolution reaffirms the right to individual and collective self-defense and confirms the need to take all necessary steps against future threats. On 14 September 2001, both chambers of the then adopted the United States Congress , "the law Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists ". US President George W. Bush and Congress signed it on September 18, 2001 (see also: War Powers Resolution ).

commitment

As of June 25, 2014, 2,335 United States soldiers had died in Afghanistan.

Some major US military operations were:

U.S. Forces Commanders

In November 2003, Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan (CFC-A) was established as the US led, coalition headquarters for Afghanistan. CTJF-180 was restructured as a subordinate organization of CFC-A. CFC-A reported in turn to United States Central Command.
  • David Barno : 2003-2005, Commander, Combined Forces Command-Afghanistan
  • Karl Eikenberry : 2005–2007, Commander, Combined Forces Command - Afghanistan
  • David D. McKiernan : October 6, 2008 to June 15, 2009 Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and from June 2008 to June 2009 Commander of ISAF
  • Stanley A. McChrystal : Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and ISAF from June 15, 2009 to June 23, 2010
  • David Petraeus : July 2010 to July 2011 Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and ISAF
  • John R. Allen : July 18, 2011 to February 10, 2013 Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and ISAF
  • Joseph F. Dunford : February 10, 2013 to August 26, 2014 Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and ISAF
  • John F. Campbell : August 26, 2014 to March 2, 2016 Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and ISAF (until 2014) or of Resolute Support .
  • John W. Nicholson Jr .: Commander of US Forces Afghanistan and Resolute Support since March 2, 2016 .

history

Operation Enduring Freedom

Nine days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 , on September 20, 2001, Bush gave a speech - the 9/11 Address to the Nation - in front of both chambers of Congress, in which he blamed al-Qaida for the attacks and the The extradition of Osama bin Laden , as its leader, demanded. This did not happen and so began on 7 October 2001 under the leadership of Tommy R. Franks , the Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), where Afghanistan was only one of several theaters of operation. In the George W. Bush Cabinet , Donald Rumsfeld was Secretary of Defense until November 14, 2006, Dick Cheney was Vice President and Deputy Secretary of Defense was Paul Wolfowitz until May 13, 2005 . Zalmay Khalilzad was Special Advisor to the US Department of State for Afghanistan from 2001 to 2003 and then Ambassador until June 2005 .

In Afghanistan, the war began with special forces on the ground directing air strikes by US and British warplanes, cruise missiles and long-range bombers in support of the Northern Alliance militias . From the end of 2001, when Afghanistan had been largely conquered, the search for al-Qaida members and Taliban who remained in Afghanistan dominated . The largest such operation was the Battle of Tora Bora , in which again a few special forces led air strikes and up to 1,000 Afghan fighters provided ground troops. The approach was an approach promoted by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who believed in the benefits of “smart bombs” . In March 2002, during Operation Anaconda , 1,700 US soldiers, special forces and, for the first time, normal soldiers fought along with around 1,000 Afghan militiamen and other NATO soldiers.

“Afghanistan is not yet out of the woods. The US must remain committed to Afghanistan in order to make sure that terrorism is defeated completely, that Afghanistan gets a stability and economic function that would put it on its own feet. Before that, it would be very, very unwise to think that it's OK to reduce attention to Afghanistan, and I would very strongly recommend that [Congress], and all of the government, stay committed and aware of the goings-on in Afghanistan, and commit to it the resources, both material and moral, needed so Afghanistan becomes a country standing on its own feet. "

“Afghanistan is not over the mountain yet. The US should continue to engage in Afghanistan to ensure that terrorism is completely defeated, that Afghanistan becomes stable and economically healthy so that it can stand on its own two feet. Until then, it would be very, very unwise to think that it is OK to reduce our awareness of Afghanistan, and I would strongly recommend that Congress, and all of the government, stand up and take note of what is going on in Afghanistan. and to raise the resources, both material and morals, that are needed in Afghanistan so that the country can stand on its own two feet again. "

- Hamid Karzai : Address of the Afghan President to the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on February 26, 2003

The Iraq war began on March 20, 2003 .

From 2003 to 2005, hidden weapons and explosives were constantly found by US soldiers and small groups of insurgents tracked down. In addition, there were constant small and a few medium-sized attacks.

ISAF

After the two missions in Afghanistan - ISAF and OEF - worked spatially separately, largely side by side, on July 31, 2006, ISAF expanded its area of ​​responsibility to the south of the country. For this purpose, ISAF grew from around 9,000 to 18,500 soldiers. On September 28, 2006, the North Atlantic Council ( NATO's most important decision-making body ) decided to extend the mission to eastern Afghanistan as well. With this, the leadership of most of the US soldiers formally went from the OEF mission to the ISAF mission. Exceptions are, for example, special forces under the leadership of the United States Special Operations Command and the Special Activities Division of the CIA's foreign intelligence service . The CIA is believed to also command Afghan Special Forces, the Counterterrorism Pursuit Teams , which operate in Afghanistan and the Pakistani tribal areas .

The United States provides the regional commanders of the East Regional Command, the Southwest Regional Command, newly created in July 2010, and, since July 2010, the South Regional Command. In addition, they provide the commander of ISAF, who is also the commander of the US Forces Afghanistan.

The "surge" in Afghanistan

Development of the number of stationed ISAF soldiers

On February 18, 2009, Barack Obama , who was sworn in as US President in January 2009, announced that he would increase the number of US troops in Afghanistan by 17,000; the withdrawal from Iraq that was initiated made this possible. Defense remained even in the Presidency of George W. Bush incumbent Robert Gates . On March 27, 2009, Obama outlined the new US strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan ( AfPak ).

Stanley McChrystal took over the post of commander of ISAF and US Forces Afghanistan in June 2009. Before that, he was commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) until August 2008 and thus led a large part of the operations of special forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. The "surge" in Iraq (an additional 28,000 US soldiers in 2007) and a new approach by the special forces helped to turn the situation there.

On August 30, 2009, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates presented the thoughts McChrystal and others had written down for a new strategy for the military operation in Afghanistan. The proposals were largely adopted by Obama. Important points were:

  • Enlarge the Afghan security forces and intensify cooperation with them in all phases.
  • More support for efforts to combat corruption and abuse of power in Afghanistan.
  • Reclaim the initiative, which includes more civilian and military forces.
  • Achieve stability and trust in the government as a priority in the population centers.
Protesters from Minnesota prepare to march in Washington on December 16, 2010

On December 1, 2009, Obama announced in a speech at the United States Military Academy at West Point that he would send an additional 30,000 soldiers to Afghanistan, increasing the number to 100,000. Further additional troops come from the allies. The Afghan security forces are to be expanded in such a way that the withdrawal can begin after 18 months. Obama also calls on Afghan President Karzai and his administration to work more effectively and to fight corruption. Furthermore, the partnership with Pakistan is to be deepened. Obama says the military effort will cost $ 30 billion a year.

In addition to the military "surge", a civilian and secret service "surge" is planned. By June 2011, the number of American civilians and diplomats had tripled to over 1,100 in one year.

On May 2, 2011, Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden in a televised address . and in June, Obama declared that the United States had largely achieved its goals. 10,000 soldiers will be withdrawn by the end of the year and 20,000 more soldiers by summer 2012. The withdrawal will continue until all responsibility for security in Afghanistan can be handed over to the Afghan security authorities. In January 2013, Karzai and Obama decided that this point would be reached in spring 2013. Subsequently, the US role should only consist of: "Training, advice and support for Afghan forces". The 66,000 US soldiers still stationed in Afghanistan in January will be further reduced by then.

In the regions

Patrol in northern Afghanistan, Balkh province , April 2011
Patrol in eastern Afghanistan, Khost province , April 2010

In the south

In spring 2010 a total of 15,000 soldiers took action against the Taliban stronghold of Marjah in Helmand Province . Operation Mushtarak , led by the US, was the first major operation designed according to the new US strategy. The aim was to drive the Taliban out of the region and, unlike in the past, to keep the land gains by building state structures in the long term (see also: FM 3-24 Counterinsurgency )

In May 2010, the South Regional Command was split up and the Southwest Regional Command was added. The new regional command was led by the United States and on November 1, 2010, the United States also took over the command of the South Regional Command from Great Britain .

In the summer of 2010, 12,000 US and NATO soldiers and 7,000 Afghan troops in Kandahar Province drove the Taliban from their stronghold in southeastern Afghanistan across the border into Pakistan.

In November 2010 it became known that the first Abrams tanks - 16 pieces - were used in Helmand Province.

In the North

In April 2011, the North Regional Command had 12,000 soldiers under the command of ISAF, of which the United States provided around 6,000 soldiers. Together with the Afghan National Army , German soldiers and other ISAF soldiers, the Taliban in the Kunduz area could be pushed back (see also:  ISAF operations in the Kunduz area since 2009 ).

In support of the US special forces, four unmanned MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones under NATO command are to be stationed in Mazar-i-Sharif from the end of 2011 .

In the East

In 2007, the United States had 24 forward operating bases (FOB) and around 120 additional combat outposts (COP) in the Eastern Regional Command. The COPs consisted of around 30 to 40 US soldiers each, an Afghan contingent of roughly the same size from the Afghan National Army, and a few security guards employed from the neighborhood. The headquarters was located at Bagram Air Base , north of Kabul. A QRF association or air support could be requested for on-site support. In addition, there were 14 Provincial Reconstruction Teams in the larger cities, the majority of which were US Americans.

Military service provider

As of March 2011, the United States employed over 90,000 people in military service . At that time, the United States had about 100,000 soldiers in Afghanistan. Of the employees, 20,000 were US Americans, 46,000 were Afghans, and 24,000 were of other nationality. The tasks include: security, logistics, construction work, translations and transport. The cost was $ 11.8 billion.

In September 2010, an investigation into the employed military service providers was initiated to investigate them for corruption. The task force set up for this in 2010 got a new head after just three months.

Miscellaneous

Training and organization of Afghan security forces

The United States was on the 21./22. January 2002 in Tokyo meeting Afghanistan conference to the lead nation in the establishment of the Afghan National Army (ANA). On December 2, 2002, Hamid Karzai, then president of the Afghan provisional government, announced that he would set up an army of 70,000 men. The US Office of Military Cooperation - Afghanistan (OMC-A) was responsible for training and setting up the ANA and supported the Germans in training the Afghan National Police (ANP). In July 2005 the USA took over the training of the ANP in addition to the training of the ANA and renamed the institution the Office of Security Cooperation - Afghanistan (OSC-A). In 2006, the facility was renamed Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan (CSTC-A) again and set up as a multinational organization under the leadership of the United States. The headquarters are in Camp Eggers in Kabul. The CSTC-A organized the recruiting, equipping, training and mentoring of ANA and ANP, while the practical work was carried out, for example, by the Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix (CJTF Phoenix) or EUPOL Afghanistan . In 2009 the concept of "embedded partnering" was introduced. Afghans and foreigners not only go into action together as before, but also plan the deployments together and also share accommodation. This concept is also used in a weaker form in the higher ranks. Each regional command works together with an Afghan corps of the ANA and there are also corresponding partners in the Afghan ministries.

The United States names its coaching teams for the ANA Embedded Training Teams (ETT) and for the ANP Police Mentoring Teams (PMT).

There is also the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A), which is headed together with the (CSTC-A) by the American William B. Caldwell . For example, the NTM-A takes care of the basic training and academic training of the senior Afghan officers of the ANA and ANP.

Development of state structures

At the beginning of 2003, regional military-civil reconstruction teams, the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT), began to be set up. In April 2005, the United States ran 15 PRTs in Afghanistan, and there were another 6 PRTs in the north and west of the country under ISAF mandate. As of August 2008, there were 12 United States-led PRTs for a total of 26 PRTs. The PRTs in the United States have a maximum of 100 people each and are located in regions where there are hardly any aid organizations.

The personnel of a US PRT consists mainly of soldiers who are also in command. There are also representatives from the Department of State , USAID (development cooperation ), and the Department of Agriculture .

The Ministry of Agriculture has agribusiness development teams in action. Around 100 agricultural experts are helping Afghan farmers to stop growing opium poppies. In 2009, the then special envoy Richard Holbrooke declared the previous strategy of poppy-seed destruction to have failed. A 2015 report by BuzzFeed News questioned the successes claimed by the US government in building up the Afghan education system.

costs

Civil aid for the years 2002 to 2010 totaled $ 18.8 billion. Direct budget support for the years from 2002 to 2010 totaled 32.9 billion dollars, and the current approximately 100,000 US soldiers receive around 120 billion dollars per year.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ iCasualties: USA
  2. ↑ the guardian: Taliban 'will try Bin Laden if US provides evidence'
  3. ^ Fred Kaplan in Slate.com: Beware Rumsfeld's Snow Job, November 25, 2008 Commentary on Donald Rumsfeld's memoir
  4. ↑ Los Angeles Times: Karzai Seeks to Keep Aid to Nation on US Agenda, February 27, 2003
  5. ↑ The Australian: Obama launches Afghanistan surge
  6. ↑ whitehouse.gov: A New Strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, March 27, 2009 ( Memento of the original from October 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.whitehouse.gov
  7. ↑ THE CABLE: Winning hearts and minds: all of McChrystal's advisors, 31. July 2009.
  8. ↑ Washington Post: Commander's Initial Assessment, August 30, 2009 (PDF; 1.7 MB)
  9. ↑ whitehouse.gov: Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on the Way Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan, December 1, 2009 ( Memento of the original from December 3, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.whitehouse.gov
  10. ↑ Chicago Tribune: Sources: US spy 'surge' in Afghanistan
  11. ^ Christian Science Monitor: In Afghanistan war, US civilian surge peaks as Pentagon begins pullback
  12. ↑ New York Times: Obama's Remarks on Bin Laden's Killing, May 2, 2011
  13. ^ New York Times: Obama Will Speed ​​Pullout From War in Afghanistan
  14. ↑ FAZ: America's armed forces from spring in support role, January 11, 2013
  15. ^ New York Times: Coalition Forces Routing Taliban in Key Afghan Region
  16. ↑ Welt.de: USA use heavy battle tanks for the first time
  17. ↑ US Department of Defense: NATO, Afghan Forces Make 'Huge' Gains in North
  18. ^ Spiegel.de: NATO stationed quiet killers in the Bundeswehr area
  19. ↑ cgsc.edu: Wanat - Combat Action in Afghanistan, 2008, pages 14, 197 ( Memento of the original from December 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 3.2 MB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.cgsc.edu
  20. ↑ fas.org, Moshe Schwartz: Department of Defense Contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq: Background and Analysis, pages 9 to 14, May 13, 2011 (PDF; 336 kB)
  21. ↑ Kabulpress: Petraeus Fired Admiral Who Tried to Cut Taliban Funding, April 2011 ( Memento of the original from October 21, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / kabulpress.org
  22. ↑ UNRIC.org: Decree of the President of the Islamic Transitional State of Afghanistan on the Afghan National Army, issued on December 1, 2002 (PDF; 20 kB)
  23. ↑ Julia Hett at zif-berlin.org: Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan (PDF; 231 kB)
  24. ↑ National Guard: Agribusiness teams help Afghan farmers find simple solutions ( Memento of the original from November 15, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ng.mil
  25. ^ New York Times: US Envisions a Continuing Civilian Presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, January 20, 2010
  26. ↑ "In 2009, in one of his first major was policy decisions since becoming president, Barack Obama oversaw an end to US poppy eradication"
  27. ↑ Azmat Khan: "The United States trumpets education as one of its shining successes of the war in Afghanistan. But a BuzzFeed News investigation reveals US claims were often outright lies, as the government peddled numbers it knew to be false and touted schools that have never seen a single student. "
  28. ↑ Christian Wernicke : Report reveals failed US policy in the Hindu Kush - Süddeutsche.de, June 8, 2011