U.S. invasion of Afghanistan

The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 was launched in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda, which was sheltered by the Taliban government. The goal was to dismantle al-Qaeda's network, remove the Taliban from power, and prevent Afghanistan from being used as a base for future attacks. The military intervention involved deploying troops to overthrow the Taliban regime and establish a new government. The mission expanded over time to include nation-building, combating insurgency, and improving security, making it a long and complex conflict that lasted nearly two decades.