The objectives of the war in Afghanistan were to capture Osama bin Laden, destroy al-Qaeda, and remove the Taliban regime which had provided support and safe harbour to al-Qaeda.

They were laid out by President George Bush in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and form part fo the country’s War on Terror.

The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001 as the U.S. military operation Operation Enduring Freedom was launched by the United States with the UK.

Here are some of the reasons given for trying to carry out the objectives laid out for the war.

President Bush named Osama bin Laden - the head of al Qaeda - as the prime suspect in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre.

On September 20, 2001, in an address to a joint session of Congress, President Bush issued an ultimatum demanding that the Taliban government of Afghanistan:

deliver al-Qaeda leaders located in Afghanistan to the United States authorities.

release all imprisoned foreign nationals, including American citizens.

protect foreign journalists, diplomats, and aid workers in Afghanistan.

close terrorist training camps in Afghanistan and “hand over every terrorist and every person and their support structure to appropriate authorities.”

give the United States full access to terrorist training camps to verify their closure.

The Taliban government responded through their embassy in Pakistan by saying there was no evidence linking bin Laden to the September 11 attacks.

They also stressed bin Laden was a guest in their country - Pashtun and Taliban codes of behaviour require guests be granted hospitality and asylum.

So on October 7 US and UK forces began bombing targets in Afghanistan after rejecting an offer by the Taliban to try bin Laden in an Islamic court.

It is now thought bin Laden is hiding in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Taliban

Its strategic position sandwiched between the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent along the ancient “Silk Route” means Afghanistan has long been fought over - despite its unforgiving and mountainous terrain.

The Taliban emerged in Afghanistan because they brought a measure of stability after nearly two decades of civil war following the Soviet occupation during the Cold War in 1979.

It governed Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001 when it was by US, Uk and NATO forces.

Originally a group of Islamic scholars, their extreme version of Islam attracted widespread criticism.

The Taliban interpreted Sharia law - the body of Islamic law taken from the Quran - to ban a wide variety of activities such as:

employment, education and sports for women,

movies,

television,

videos,

music,

dancing,

hanging pictures in homes,

clapping during sports events,

kite flying,

beard trimming.

In control of about 90 per cent of Afghanistan until late 2001, the Taliban were recognised as the legitimate government by only three countries.

In 1996, Osama bin Laden moved to Afghanistan from Sudan and was able to forge an alliance between the Taliban and his al-Qaeda organisation.

It is understood that al-Qaeda-trained fighters known as the 055 Brigade were integrated with the Taliban army between 1997 and 2001.

The Taliban protected Osama bin Laden from extradition requests by the U.S. Their justification varied from claiming bin Laden had “gone missing” in Afghanistan to saying Washington “cannot provide any evidence or any proof” that bin Laden is involved in terrorist activities.

It has regrouped in a fragmented form. Since 2004 its various new insurgent factions have been fighting a guerrilla war against the current government of Afghanistan, allied NATO forces participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda has allegedly attacked civilian and military targets in various countries, the most notable being the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Al-Qaeda’s objectives include the end of foreign influence in Muslim countries and the creation of a new Islamic caliphate (a kingdom governed by a caliph - believed to be a direct descendant of Mohammed). Reported beliefs include that a Christian-Jewish alliance is conspiring to destroy Islam and that the killing of bystanders and civilians is Islamically justified in jihad.

From May 1996, Osama bin Laden had been living in Afghanistan along with other members of al-Qaeda, operating terrorist training camps in a loose alliance with the Taliban.

Following the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Africa, the U.S. military launched submarine-based cruise missiles at these camps with limited effect on their overall operations. al-Qaeda has been attributed with carrying out six major terrorist attacks:

1. The Pentagon, US - Sep 11, 2001

2. World Trade Center, US - Sep 11, 2001

3. Istanbul, Turkey - Nov 15, 2003; Nov 20, 2003

4. Aden, Yemen - Oct 12, 2000

5. Nairobi, Kenya - Aug 7, 1998

6. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - Aug 7, 1998

So far the war has had limited success in restraining al Qaeda’s movement.