In 11 seconds, the twin towers crumbled. Almost three thousand people died, and the World Trade Center, a structure that took 14 years to build, collapsed in less than a day. The devastating 9/11 terrorist attack, spearheaded by al-Qaida, was a pivotal moment in U.S. history, setting the tone for Afghanistan and U.S. relations for the next 20 years. 

 

Shortly after the attack, President George W. Bush announced that American military forces would instigate attacks against the terrorist group and Taliban targets in Afghanistan, marking the start of Operation Enduring Freedom. 

 

At the time, the Taliban controlled most of Afghanistan. Their rule was characterized by harsh punishments and severe restrictions on the freedoms of women. 

 

From the time girls in Afghanistan turned eight years old, their lives were subject to the whims of men. They could not appear outside without a blood relative, be in contact with a male unless a close relative, and mandated to wear burqas in public. They could not wear heeled shoes, as no man should hear a woman’s footsteps, and had to speak quietly in public, as no male stranger should hear a woman’s voice. They were forbidden to be photographed, be seen on balconies, or attend public gatherings.

Yet despite the oppressive conditions of women, what truly angered the United States was the Taliban sympathy towards extremist groups like al-Qaida. After 9/11, Bush demanded the leaders and those involved in the attack be handed to the United States. When the Taliban  rejected Bush’s demand to turn over the al-Qaida leaders in charge of 9/11, the president launched his war on terrorism, stating, “Now the Taliban will pay a price.” 

 

Soon after, Taliban leaders fled Afghanistan and found refuge in Pakistan. The American military did not follow; instead, they stayed in Afghanistan and overturned the Taliban government. 

 

By December, the Taliban offered an unconditional surrender, which Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld promptly rejected. He refused to grant amnesty to Taliban leader Mohammad Omar, and they could not reach a compromise. 

 

The United States remained in Afghanistan, and with the assistance of NATO, spent billions of dollars in an effort to Westernize the nation. 

 

Initially, it seemed like there was hope for improvement; new buildings and facilities were built, and a pro-Western government was installed. 

 

The most drastic change that came out of these reparations was their impact on women’s rights. Prior to U.S. intervention, the Taliban prohibited Afghan girls from attending school, confining them to their homes. But now, thousands of girls were allowed to pursue a college-level education, find a job, be heard in their communities, and even serve in the newly democratic government. 

 

But despite the positive changes, corruption was everywhere. According to a 2020 report by Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR),  “a total of approximately $19 billion, or 30% of the [$63 billion] amount reviewed, was lost to waste, fraud, and abuse.”

 

In addition to rampant corruption, the government was still unable to meet the needs of Afghan citizens, despite the progress in infrastructure and women’s rights.

 

These underlying issues, coupled with Afghanistan’s anti-colonialism cry fueled by the presence of U.S. troops, enabled the Taliban to begin rebuilding. They continued to grow stronger, and by 2010, President Obama had deployed nearly 100,000 troops in an attempt to cripple the Taliban. 

 

It was ineffective. The Taliban only continued to grow, prompting Obama to retract US troops. 

 

“President Obama has asked the Pentagon to ensure that it has adequate plans in place to accomplish an orderly withdrawal by the end of the year should the United States not keep any troops in Afghanistan after 2014,” the White House said in a statement published that year. 

 

Two years later, Obama’s second term as president ended, passing the burden of Afghan-U.S. relations to the conservative Trump administration. 

 

In Febuary of 2020, President Trump signed a peace deal with the Taliban. The deal was an agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban, negotiating an accord to bring peace to Afghanistan. However, representatives of the Afghan government were absent during the making of this deal.

 

“We think we’ll be successful in the end,”  Trump said. 

 

The Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, followed up Trump’s statement proclaiming that the administration was taking the right steps for future coexistence between the nations.

 

“We are seizing the best opportunity for peace in a generation,” Pompeo said. 

 

In 2021, the Trump administration passed the situation over to the new Biden administration, who chose to uphold the peace agreement.