Operation Enduring Freedom Begins
Operation Enduring Freedom commenced on October 7, 2001, following the September 11 attacks that resulted in nearly 3,000 civilian casualties. Announced by President George W. Bush, the operation aimed to dismantle Al Qaeda's infrastructure in Afghanistan, capture their leader Osama bin Laden, and remove the Taliban regime that harbored him. The attacks prompted a swift and resolute response from the United States, supported by allies such as Great Britain. This military operation sought to empower the Northern Alliance, an Afghan resistance group, to establish a new government capable of preventing the resurgence of terrorism in the region. While the initial campaign effectively toppled the Taliban and disrupted Al Qaeda, bin Laden managed to evade capture, finding refuge in remote areas of Pakistan. As Operation Enduring Freedom unfolded, it garnered significant international sympathy and support for the U.S. effort, reflecting a global desire for justice and security. President Bush emphasized unwavering American determination in his address, stating that the pursuit of peace and freedom would not falter. The long-term implications of this military engagement continue to be analyzed and debated in the context of both regional stability and global counterterrorism efforts.
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Operation Enduring Freedom Begins
Operation Enduring Freedom Begins
On October 7, 2001, President George W. Bush, in a nationally televised speech, announced the beginning of a U.S. military operation known as Operation Enduring Freedom. The stated purpose of this operation was to destroy Al Qaeda facilities in Afghanistan; arrest Osama bin Laden, the Al Qaeda leader who had financed the attacks on America of September 11, 2001; and overthrow the Taliban regime, which supported bin Laden and his organization.
American outrage after the September 11 attacks was swift and immediate. The hijackers who commandeered four airliners, flying them into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, d.c., and crashing one into a Pennsylvania field, had killed nearly 3,000 people, most of whom were ordinary civilian office workers. For weeks afterward television programming was dominated by the attack and its aftermath. Sympathy in the international community was widespread and even extended to holding public observances such as several minutes of silence on behalf of the dead. U.S. intelligence quickly determined that the terrorist organization known as Al Qaeda was responsible for organizing this attack. Al Qaeda was led by bin Laden, a Saudi multimillionaire, from his hideaway in the Southeast Asian nation of Afghanistan, where the extremist Muslim government known as the Taliban had given him sanctuary. The United States moved quickly, arranging for access to landlocked Afghanistan across neighboring Pakistan.
Supported by Great Britain and other allies, the United States on October 7 launched a devastating attack which quickly demolished Taliban opposition. The American forces put an Afghan resistance organization known as the Northern Alliance, which had fought the Taliban for years, in charge of the country. With extensive military and economic assistance, it was hoped that the new government could prevent the country from becoming a terrorist refuge ever again. However, bin Laden and many of his senior staff escaped the Americans, mostly taking refuge in remote portions of Pakistan where the authority of the central government is weak and hostile local tribes support radicals like bin Laden. As of the writing of this book in the early 21st century, bin Laden has yet to be apprehended, and this is generally considered to be the most glaring failure in the otherwise largely successful scope of Operation Enduring Freedom. President Bush, however, summarized America's resolve during his October 7 speech when he stated, “We will not waver; we will not tire; we will not falter; and we will not fail. Peace and freedom will prevail.”