The United States came into play at the start of the 21st century. The Afghan War, an international conflict in Afghanistan, began in 2001: triggered by the September 11 attacks. President George W. Bush blamed said attacks on Osama bin Laden, a known terrorist living in Afghanistan. Bush did not hesitate to demand that the Taliban, a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist political movement in Afghanistan, hand over bin Laden and expel al-Qaeda. However, they refused to do so until the United States produced evidence of their involvement in 9/11. President Bush dismissed this request and launched "Operation Enduring Freedom" with the United Kingdom on October 7, 2001. The war comprised three phases with the aim to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban from power.
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The second phase, comprised of overwhelming the Taliban militarily and rebuilding core institutions in Afghanistan, began in 2002 and concluded in 2008. The third phase started in 2008 and aimed to protect the public from Taliban attacks and reintegrate insurgents into Afghan society. In December 2001, the United Nations Security Council established the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), to assist the Afghan interim authorities with securing Kabul. NATO became involved in ISAF in August 2003, and later that year assumed leadership of it. At the time, ISAF included troops from 43 countries including one portion of the United States' troops in Afghanistan. Following defeat in the initial invasion, the Taliban was reorganized and launched an attack against the Afghan government and ISAF in 2003. Though outgunned and outnumbered, insurgents from the Taliban and its supporters waged many attacks against coalition
The second phase, comprised of overwhelming the Taliban militarily and rebuilding core institutions in Afghanistan, began in 2002 and concluded in 2008. The third phase started in 2008 and aimed to protect the public from Taliban attacks and reintegrate insurgents into Afghan society. In December 2001, the United Nations Security Council established the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), to assist the Afghan interim authorities with securing Kabul. NATO became involved in ISAF in August 2003, and later that year assumed leadership of it. At the time, ISAF included troops from 43 countries including one portion of the United States' troops in Afghanistan. Following defeat in the initial invasion, the Taliban was reorganized and launched an attack against the Afghan government and ISAF in 2003. Though outgunned and outnumbered, insurgents from the Taliban and its supporters waged many attacks against coalition