The war on terror has been one of the most expensive battles to burden the United State of America economy. In the most recent decades, the war has been waged against terrorist groups like the al Qaeda and the Taliban. The main challenge on the fight against the al Qaeda group is the lack of a central region of operation and use of guerilla war tactics. The group is spread in Afghanistan, Pakistan and some part of Africa. The 11th September 2001 twin tower attacks on the United State soil saw President George .W. Bush officially declare war on terror (Bergen 6). The al Qaeda group was blamed for the bombing of the world trade center, a move that led to the United State army to invade al Qaeda hiding camps in Afghanistan. The United States government blames countries like Sudan and Afghanistan for financing and arming the al Qaeda terror group. The killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan saw the Barrack Obama administration take credit for bringing the war on terror to a closer end.
The al Qaeda group traces its beginnings in Afghanistan during the Soviet wars of 1979-1989 (Bergen 13). The group was going by the name Islamist mujahedeen guerillas and at some point received the United State aid in fight against the Soviet Union armies. The group renamed to al Qaeda in 1996 under the leadership of Osama bin Laden forming its military operation base in Afghanistan, a country that offered a better environment to the group because of the support it received from the Taliban government. The year 1998 saw a sweeping announcement made by Osama bin Laden; that the group had declared war on the West, the United States, and Israel. The declaration was the first threat posed by the group towards to the United State government.
Operation infinite Reach
The al Qaeda terrorist group was linked with the bombing of the United State embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The 1998 attack killed 224 people, among the casualties, 12 were American citizens (Ferguson 85). President Clinton launched the operation infinite reach as a retaliation measure against the Kenyan and Tanzanian bombing. The operation involved bombing of a pharmaceutical facility within Sudan that was believed to be linked with the al Qaeda. Bombing was extended to Afghanistan where the al Qaeda was believed to have military bases. The operations were launched using the United State warships placed in the Red Sea to fight terrorism. The bombing of the AL-Shifa pharmaceutical factory in Sudan was justified by the belief that the factory was used by Osama bin Laden in the manufacture of chemical weapons. One person was killed and tens wounded during the pharmaceutical attack. The United State Intelligence linked the Iraqi nerve gas experts and the National Islamic front with operation of the AL-Shifa pharmaceutical factory. The Sudanese government demanded apologies from the United State because of carrying out a bomb attack on its territory without enough evidence of terrorist activities taking place within the factory. The management of the factory claimed that no nerve gas production ever took place within the factory terming the attack as an economic disruption to Sudan’s medicinal production.
The attack on Afghanistan saw 75 missiles fired at camps believed to be al Qaeda training camps. One of such camp was the Zhawar Kili al-Badr camp that was under the command of Osama bin Laden and served as a meeting point for all the al Qaeda leaders. The bombings in Afghanistan were targeted kill Osama bin Laden but this did not result. The Afghanistan attack reported the death of seven people during the entire operation of operation infinite reach.
Operation Enduring freedom
The operation enduring freedom was launched as a retaliation measure against the al Qaeda twin tower attacks on United State. The United States together with her allies had to move their army, naval and air force into Afghanistan. The attack was launched because the Taliban regime ruling in Afghanistan had refused to surrender Osama bin Laden to the United States. The Taliban demanded evidence on Osama’s involvement on the 9/11 terror attack be given to them and they would try him in an Islamic court (Bergen 53). The operation enduring freedom targeted to kill Osama bin Laden and at the same time overthrow the Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
The operation was officially launched on 7th October 2001 with the United States and the British air force carrying out air strikes on Kabul within Afghanistan. The attack saw Kabul fall under the United State on mid-November 2001. The fall of Kabul forced the Taliban and al Qaeda members to withdraw towards the mountainous eastern Afghanistan. The mountainous regions provided good shields and escape routes for the al Qaeda members to Pakistan. The United States intelligence confirmed that Osama bin Laden entered Pakistan during the war period (Schultheis 231). The challenge was tracing the exact location of his base of operation within Pakistan.
The war on al Qaeda in Afghanistan continued until March 2002, when the United States and Nato launched operation Anaconda. The operation was to fight the al Qaeda members who had escaped to the Arma Mountains and Shaikot valley within Afghanistan. This operation forced the remaining Taliban and al Qaeda members to escape towards Pakistan. The militia groups regrouped in Pakistan and started attacking the United States army which led to launch of operation Moshatark. The operation brought to a conclusion the invasion of the ally from the insurgency groups within Afghanistan. The end of war in Afghanistan did not result in death or capture of Osama bin Laden in any of the battles.
War on al Qaeda in Pakistan
The United States war on the al Qaeda in Pakistan did not include the invasion and occupation of Pakistan like the case in Afghanistan. The escape of the Taliban and al Qaeda members from Afghanistan to Pakistan warranted the formation of an al Qaeda watch group in Pakistan. The period saw the United States support tribal armies in Pakistan that fought al Qaeda insurgents. The tribal armies were provided with ammunitions, money, and logistics information. The United States spent $750 million in sponsoring tribal armies for a period of five years.
The year 2008 saw increased United States air raids in Pakistan near Afghanistan boarders. On 28th November 2008, the United States drones attacked a guest restaurant in Afghanistan believed to be an al Qaeda hiding place. One of the key al Qaeda member killed was Abdul Rehman on 29th November in South Waziristan near Afghanistan. The same day saw the killing of Bah, another leader of al Qaeda in Pakistan (Mohamedou 45). The involvement of the United States in Pakistan at some point let to conflicts between the Pakistan government and the NATO armies. The conflict erupted because of an exchange of fire that had taken place between the NATO forces and Pakistan armies within Pakistan boarders. The Pakistan administration viewed the act as of interference to its sovereignty.
The war on Afghanistan required military supply made to soldiers on land on the mountainous regions. The only route that existed was through Pakistan. The routes faced multiple attacks from al Qaeda insurgencies sometimes leading to gun fires between Pakistan armies and the insurgency. These attacks led to considerable offensives organized by the United States and Pakistan armies, which eventually led to the defeat of militants in Bajaur. The defeat saw a drop in attacks on Afghanistan territories by militia from Pakistan and a safe transport corridor established (Mohamedou 134).
Death of Osama Bin Laden
The United States and her allies believed the death of Osama bin Laden would lead to an eventual defeat of the al Qaeda group. This belief originated from the fact that bin Laden was the main financier and organizer of al Qaeda activities. The year 2011 saw the navy sea attack a home in Pakistan believed to be where bin Laden was hiding. The operation was authorized and monitored by the President Barrack Obama. The Palestinian authority confirmed the death of Osama Bin Laden on 6th May 2011 after his killing in 3rd May 2011 (Christine, 2012). The death saw member of al Qaeda send messages online promising to avenge the death of their commander. The death weakened the al Qaeda group, which is not reported to take part in major attacks after his death.
In a recap, the United States continues to lead the war against terror after death of Osama bin Laden. The reduction in terror threats in Afghanistan has seen withdrawal of huge numbers of foreign armies from Afghanistan. The Obama administration has promised total withdrawal of foreign armies from Afghanistan by the year 2014.
Works Cited
Bergen, Peter. The longest war: the enduring conflict between America and al-Qaeda. New York: Free Press, 2011.
Christine, Boyle. Osama bin Laden was killed by bullet to the brain before SEALs arrived. Daily News, August 29 2012. Accessed 10th December 2012 Web.
Ferguson, Amanda. The attack against the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2003. Print.
Mohamedou, Ann. Understanding Al Qaeda the transformation of war. London Ann Arbor, MI: Pluto, 2007. Print.
Schultheis, Rob. Hunting Bin Laden : how Al-Qaeda is winning the war on terror. New York: Sky horse Pub, 2008. Print.
.
