Module 3: Afghanistan and 9/11

Afghanistan and 9/11

Between 1990 and the U.S. invasion in 2001, Afghanistan was engulfed in civil war and radical transformation, driven by the power vacuum left after the Soviet withdrawal and the fall of the communist regime. The Mujahedeen, who had fought against the Soviet Union with significant CIA support, splintered into rival factions. These groups, divided along ethnic and ideological lines, turned their weapons on each other, vying for control of the country. This period of infighting devastated Afghanistan, with major cities like Kabul suffering severe destruction and civilian casualties. Amid this chaos, extremist groups gained prominence, including al-Qaeda, an organization founded by Osama bin Laden, a former member of the Mujahedeen during Soviet-Afghan War and remained in Afghanistan to advance his global jihadist ambitions.

By 1994, the Taliban, a hardline Islamist militia composed primarily of Pashtun fighters, emerged as a powerful force. Promising to restore order and enforce a strict interpretation of Islamic law, the Taliban gained popular support in regions weary of the Mujahedeen’s infighting. Backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the Taliban rapidly expanded their control, seizing Kabul in 1996 and establishing a theocratic regime. They imposed harsh restrictions, particularly on women, banning education and employment for females and enforcing strict dress codes and public behavior. The Taliban also provided a safe haven for Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, allowing the group to establish training camps and plot terrorist attacks, including the bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998 and the attack on the USS Cole in 2000.

The September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, orchestrated by al-Qaeda under bin Laden's leadership, marked a turning point in Afghanistan’s modern history. In the aftermath of the attacks, the U.S. demanded that the Taliban surrender bin Laden and dismantle al-Qaeda’s operations. When the Taliban agreed to turn him over, assuming the US was willing to provide evidence of bin Laden's guilt.  Refusing, the U.S. launched a military invasion in October 2001, with the aim of toppling the Taliban regime and eliminating al-Qaeda’s presence. This intervention, supported by international allies aligned with the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, marked the beginning of a new chapter in Afghanistan’s tumultuous history.  The Northern Alliance, however, was little more than a collection of Afghani warlords of dubious loyalty.  However, they did hate the Taliban. The U.S.-led invasion brought an end to Taliban rule but set the stage for decades of continued conflict and instability.