AFGHANISTAN
The US and NATO's longest war
The war in Afghanistan spanned nearly 20 years and four US presidents.
150
Obama
120
Peak
140,000 troops
100,000 US troops
Thousands of troops
90
Bush
Trump
Start
1,300 troops
Current
10,000 troops
2,500 US troops
Biden
30
2001 02
03
04
05
06 07
08 09
10
11
12
13
14 15
16 17
18
19 20 21
October 7, 2001
US launches war
May 2, 2011
US forces kill Osama bin Laden in Pakistan
December 28, 2014
Coalition formally ends combat mission
Republican US president
Democrat US president
NATO/allies
Source: US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction | Data as of April 2021
A. According to this chart, what year was the peak for troop numbers in the Afghanistan War? (1 points)
(3 points)
B. What happened to troop numbers after the death of Osama bin Laden? Why do you think that is?
A. The peak for troop numbers in the Afghanistan War was in 2011.
B. After the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011, troop numbers gradually decreased. This could be because the mission to eliminate bin Laden, who was the leader of Al-Qaeda responsible for the 9/11 attacks, was a major objective of the war. With bin Laden's death, there may have been a shift in focus or a belief that the threat had been significantly diminished, leading to a reduction in troop numbers.