The US war in Afghanistan is over. This is how it began and what it left behind
For the first time in 20 years, Afghanistan is all but free of foreign troops. But with the Taliban s rapid advance as American and NATOÂ troops leave, its future looks uncertain. 7 July 2021
With American and NATO troops having all but departed Afghanistan after 20 years of war, the country is still riven by internal conflict.Â
The United States descended on Afghanistan and its Taliban government in 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 attacks by Al Qaeda, which had sought sanctuary in the country.Â
Now at the end of the war, this is a look back at how it began, the complications that arose,
Rahmat Gul / AP
Updated July 6, 2021 at 5:35 PM ET
Five days after the final U.S. troops left Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, the Pentagon is defending itself from criticism by Afghan military officials who have accused the U.S. of secretly slipping out overnight, shutting off the electricity and prompting a security lapse that allowed looters to scavenge the facilities before Afghan troops were able to retake control.
It is the latest mishap in the U.S. military withdrawal from the country after 20 years of military presence, a process President Joe Biden has promised will be complete by September 11th.
Bagram Airfield, about an hour s drive from Kabul, served as the center of operations for the longest-running war in U.S. history. It housed tens of thousands of troops at its peak, with planes and helicopters coming and going at all hours.
To improve the performance of our website, show the most relevant news products and targeted advertising, we collect technical impersonal information about you, including through the tools of our partners. You can find a detailed description of how we use your data in our Privacy Policy. For a detailed description of the technologies, please see the Cookie and Automatic Logging Policy.
By clicking on the Accept & Close button, you provide your explicit consent to the processing of your data to achieve the above goal.
You can withdraw your consent using the method specified in the Privacy Policy.
Accept & Close
Sputnik International
US cut power at Afghan airfield, left at night without telling new commander
By Kathy Gannon
President Biden talked about bringing troops home from Afghanistan
BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) - The U.S. left Afghanistan s Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by shutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night without notifying the base s new Afghan commander, who discovered the Americans departure more than two hours after they left, Afghan military officials said.
Afghanistan’s army showed off the sprawling air base Monday, providing a rare first glimpse of what had been the epicenter of America’s war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks on America.
Pentagon cites security reasons for why precise hour of US withdrawal from Bagram Airfield was not disclosed
by
Blast wallls and a few buildings can be seen at the Bagram air base after the American military left the base, in Parwan province north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, July 5, 2021. The U.S. left Afghanistan s Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years, winding up its forever war, in the night, without notifying the new Afghan commander until more than two hours after they slipped away. (Rahmat Gul/AP)
WASHINGTON Senior Afghan officials were told U.S. forces were leaving Bagram Airfield about 48 hours ahead of their departure but the precise hour was left secret for security reasons, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman said Tuesday.