The Battle of Mazari Sharif, Afghanistan was the first battle and victory in the Global War of Terrorism following the attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001 (Fall_of_Mazari_Sharif, 2015). The combined forces of Northern Alliance U.S. Army Special Forces, supported by the U.S Air Force and U.S. Naval Air Forces (Gutkin, 2001) fought against the Taliban, al-Qaeda forces, led by Osama bin Laden, and Pakistani volunteers for the control of Mazari Sharif. This battle took place on November 9 - 10, 2001. This Allied victory secured a foothold and opened the door for the northern invasion route into the rest of Afghanistan. Within days of the attacks on September 11, 2001 (Figure 1), the United States of America proved that al-Qaeda
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Capturing Mazari Sharif was strategically important because it would open the roads for supply routes needed for the capture of Kabual. Mazari Sharif was also important because there were several battles in the late 1990s over that city which the Taliban won securing their hold on Afghanistan. Prior to the November 2001 Battle of Mazari Sharif U.S. military planners thought it would take a number of months to capture the city. It took the Taliban three years capture the city, the city fell to the Allied Combined Forces after a 4-hour battle (Karon, 2001). That victory resulted in the collapse of Taliban forces in northern Afghanistan and opened the door for the ground invasion for the rest of …show more content…
Afghanistan’s Taliban government was harboring Osama bin Laden. When they refused to turn him over to the USG, we attacked. U.S Army Special Forces, U.S. Air Force Combat Controllers, working with the Northern Alliance forces backed by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Naval Air Forces, launched the first major attack into Afghanistan (Fall_of_Mazari_Sharif, 2015). The routed Taliban forces retreated south. Leading up to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the USG built a case which showed that Osama bin Laden not only had a history of attacking American targets across the globe, but he planned and members of al-Qaeda carried out the 9/11 attacks. In order to bring Osama bin Laden to justice and with the refusal of the Taliban to hand him over, the United States went to Afghanistan to get him. The first major city inside Afghanistan approaching from the north is Mazari Sharif. Capturing that city was required in order to open the ground invasion route as well securing the airfield so air support would be closer to the ground forces. Military planners initially thought the Battle for Mazari Sharif would take a number of months and were pleasantly surprised that it fell so quickly. After the battle, U.S. Army Rangers reinforced the city, Afghan Nationals repaired the runways at the airfield and an
Capturing Mazari Sharif was strategically important because it would open the roads for supply routes needed for the capture of Kabual. Mazari Sharif was also important because there were several battles in the late 1990s over that city which the Taliban won securing their hold on Afghanistan. Prior to the November 2001 Battle of Mazari Sharif U.S. military planners thought it would take a number of months to capture the city. It took the Taliban three years capture the city, the city fell to the Allied Combined Forces after a 4-hour battle (Karon, 2001). That victory resulted in the collapse of Taliban forces in northern Afghanistan and opened the door for the ground invasion for the rest of …show more content…
Afghanistan’s Taliban government was harboring Osama bin Laden. When they refused to turn him over to the USG, we attacked. U.S Army Special Forces, U.S. Air Force Combat Controllers, working with the Northern Alliance forces backed by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Naval Air Forces, launched the first major attack into Afghanistan (Fall_of_Mazari_Sharif, 2015). The routed Taliban forces retreated south. Leading up to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the USG built a case which showed that Osama bin Laden not only had a history of attacking American targets across the globe, but he planned and members of al-Qaeda carried out the 9/11 attacks. In order to bring Osama bin Laden to justice and with the refusal of the Taliban to hand him over, the United States went to Afghanistan to get him. The first major city inside Afghanistan approaching from the north is Mazari Sharif. Capturing that city was required in order to open the ground invasion route as well securing the airfield so air support would be closer to the ground forces. Military planners initially thought the Battle for Mazari Sharif would take a number of months and were pleasantly surprised that it fell so quickly. After the battle, U.S. Army Rangers reinforced the city, Afghan Nationals repaired the runways at the airfield and an