The U.S. War in Afghanistan: An Assessment of Objectives Achieved at its Conclusion
Abstract
The dawn of the new millennium witnessed worldwide terrorism. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the United States entered Afghanistan in 2001 primarily to defeat Al-Qaeda. The war turned out to be the longest overseas military campaign conducted by the United States by the time U.S. troops completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Since the nature of an asymmetric war such as this one is inherently complex, it is challenging to assess how successfully the war in Afghanistan achieved U.S. objectives. This research aims to facilitate that assessment by first laying out tangible benchmarks, and thereafter gauging the war efforts according to those criteria. The research evaluates relevant terrorism statistics by examining the change in the number of terrorist incidents perpetrated by Al-Qaeda and the decimation of that group during the war. Additionally, the research analyzes the pattern of the Taliban insurgency that restored them to national power. The thesis also considers the frequency of terrorism incidents following the establishment of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The research empirically examines the U.S. war in Afghanistan and provides an objective assessment of the goals achieved. The research can help policymakers, think tanks, scholars, defense analysts, and military students in their respective domains by providing a strong foundation on which to draw lessons from the U.S. war in Afghanistan for future reference.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1173245
Entities
People
- Saud Al Aziz
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School