🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 25 (from laksa069)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa025.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical, ml_categories_json AS ml_categories_json, ml_types_json AS ml_types_json, ml_intent_types_json AS ml_intent_types_json, meta_language AS meta_language, attrs_author AS attrs_author, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_publish_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(attrs_original_publish_time), 0) AS attrs_original_publish_time, ifNull(attrs_is_republished, 0) AS attrs_is_republished, ifNull(attrs_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_nr_words, ifNull(attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, 0) AS attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words, ifNull(body_ext_links_number, 0) AS body_ext_links_number, ifNull(body_int_links_number, 0) AS body_int_links_number, ifNull(meta_nofollow, 0) AS meta_nofollow, ifNull(meta_noarchive, 0) AS meta_noarchive, ifNull(props_was_rendered, 0) AS props_was_rendered, ifNull(src_redirect, \'\') AS src_redirect, ifNull(download_time_msec, 0) AS download_time_msec, ifNull(download_ttfb_msec, 0) AS download_ttfb_msec, ifNull(download_size, 0) AS download_size FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-31/u-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-31/u-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-08-31\/u-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline","crawl_time":1776571486,"first_indexed_time":1630434688,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,latimes!www,\/politics\/story\/2021-08-31\/u-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline s443","src_root_hash":"7344800029135033825","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"U.S. war in Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001: A timeline - Los Angeles Times","meta_descriptions":["U.S. troops fought in Afghanistan longer than in any other war. Here's a look at major events over the last two decades."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"1\nNo American war lasted longer than the U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, which began two decades ago after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The final troops\nleft this week\n, the closing chapter in a chaotic evacuation from Kabul.\nAbout 2,500 service members died in the war. Although U.S. forces ousted the Taliban when they invaded, the fundamentalist group methodically rebuilt itself in the ensuing years before sweeping back into power during the American withdrawal.\nHere are some of the major events from the conflict.\n2\nSept. 11, 2001\nTerrorists from Al Qaeda, which was granted sanctuary in Afghanistan by the Taliban,\nfly hijacked airliners\ninto the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia. A fourth plane crashes in Pennsylvania.\n3\nSept. 18, 2001\nPresident George W. Bush signs\na congressional resolution authorizing the use of force\nagainst those responsible for the attacks, a document that provides the foundation for years of military and intelligence operations.\nAn Afghan soldier pops up from his tank to signal a U.S. warplane bombing Al Qaeda fighters in the White Mountains of Tora Bora in Afghanistan on Dec. 10, 2001.\n(David Guttenfelder \/ Associated Press )\n4\nOct. 7, 2001\nU.S. forces begin bombing the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Special forces and CIA operatives also deploy to support the Northern Alliance, which sweeps toward the capital of Kabul and conquers the city a month later.\n5\nDecember 2001\nOsama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, is believed to have escaped into Pakistan while U.S. forces and allies attack a cave complex in the Tora Bora mountains.\n6\nApril 17, 2002\nBush announces a plan to help rebuild Afghanistan, and Congress approves $38 billion in spending. A transitional government led by Hamid Karzai is created in Kabul.\n7\nOct. 11, 2002\nPivoting to what the Bush administration alleged was the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Bush successfully presses Congress to authorize the use of force against the Middle Eastern nation. Ending a somber debate that pushed past midnight, the Senate votes, 77 to 23, for the resolution. The action came hours after the House gave its approval on a 296-133 vote.\n“Major combat operations in Iraq have ended,” President Bush announced on May 1, 2003, in an address to the nation from the deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln off the San Diego coast.\n(K.C. Alfred \/ San Diego Union-Tribune)\n8\nMarch 20, 2003\nAfter Iraq fails to turn over any weapons of mass destruction, U.S. and British troops sweep into southern Iraq in an invasion aimed at Baghdad.\n9\nMay 1, 2003\nSecretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says “major combat activity” is over. Bush separately declares, while standing in front of a “Mission accomplished” banner, that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended” after the U.S. overthrows Saddam Hussein there, though some U.S. troops will remain there though 2011.\n10\nMay 23, 2005\nKarzai\nvisits Bush\nat the White House, and the two leaders sign an agreement strengthening ties. The U.S. pledges to train and equip Afghan security forces and to nurture the country’s economy and government, but a resurgent Taliban presents a growing threat.\n11\nFeb. 17, 2009\nNewly elected President Obama announces that\nhe’ll send 17,000 more troops\nto Afghanistan in hopes of stabilizing the country and beating back the Taliban.\nGen. Stanley McChrystal led U.S. forces in Afghanistan for a year. He was removed in 2010 after a Rolling Stone article revealed sharp criticisms of the Obama administration within his inner circle.\n(Carolyn Cole \/ Los Angeles Times)\n12\nDec. 1, 2009\nObama announces plans to deploy another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, bringing the total to nearly 100,000. He also says\nhe’ll begin to withdraw troops in July 2011.\nWith the surge in forces, the military focuses on\nTaliban strongholds in the southern part of the country.\n13\nJune 22, 2011\nObama says\nhe will begin withdrawing troops\n, although roughly 70,000 are expected to stay through 2014.\nPreliminary negotiations with the Taliban\nalso begin.\nAshraf Ghani, center, was elected president of Afghanistan in 2014. He replaced Hamid Karzai.\n(Wakil Kohsar \/ AFP \/ Getty Images )\nDec. 17, 2011\nThe last U.S. troops leave Iraq, nearly nine years after they first poured into the country. The U.S. did not find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. U.S. troops and contractors will return in coming years to help the Iraqi government combat the rise of Islamic State.\n14\nJuly 6, 2016\nDespite a major drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan,\nObama pumps the brakes\non plans for a full withdrawal, ensuring that American involvement will continue after his term ends. “The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious,” he said. “Even as they improve, Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be.”\n15\nAug. 21, 2017\nPresident Trump, who once called for removing troops from Afghanistan, says\nthe military will continue operations there\n. He warns that a “hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists . . . would instantly fill, just as happened before Sept. 11.” He later sends another 3,000, bringing U.S. forces up to about 14,000.\n16\nJan. 28, 2019\nTaliban and U.S. officials meeting in Qatar\nagree to begin intensive negotiations\nto resolve the conflict in Afghanistan. The talks don’t involve the Afghan government, which the Taliban refuses to recognize.\n17\nSept. 2, 2019\nZalmay Khalilzad, the top U.S. negotiator, announces that “an agreement in principle” has been reached with the Taliban. The Taliban bombs an international compound in Kabul, killing 16 people. Three days later, it claims responsibility for another bomb that kills 10 people, including a U.S. service member. Trump had secretly planned to sit down with Taliban leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at Camp David, but\nthe meeting was called off.\nSmoke rises behind crumbled walls of a building on a street left with a large crater and littered with debris after a suicide bomb attack on an international compound in Kabul on Sept. 2, 2019.\n(Associated Press)\n18\nFeb. 29, 2020\nThe\nTrump administration and the Taliban reach an agreement\nto withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. As part of the deal, the Taliban agrees to cut ties with Al Qaeda and refrain from attacking U.S. forces. In return, the U.S. pressures the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners.\n19\nNov. 17, 2020\nTrump loses the election to Democrat Joe Biden, but his administration continues pressing toward withdrawal. The Pentagon announces that it will soon have only 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. However, negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have stalled. Violence continues and many Afghan citizens\nfear the Taliban’s return\nwould signal a new wave of brutality and repression, particularly against women. In addition, reports indicate that the Taliban never completely severed its relationships with terrorist groups.\n20\nApril 14, 2021\nPresident Biden pushes back the deadline for pulling out U.S. troops until Sept. 11, but he says\nhe’s committed to ending the war.\n“We went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago,” Biden said. “That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021.”\n21\nJuly 6, 2021\nU.S. forces abandon Bagram Airfield, its largest military facility in Afghanistan. Two days later, Biden says “speed is safety” when it comes to pulling out troops and the withdrawal will be finished on Aug. 31. The Taliban is gaining ground against the Afghan government, but\nBiden insists on staying the course.\n. “How many thousands more American daughters and sons are you willing to risk?” he says. “How long would you have them stay?”\nPresident Biden on April 14 visits Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where U.S. troops who died in Afghanistan are buried, after announcing his plans for withdrawal.\n(Andrew Harnik \/ Associated Press)\n22\nAug. 15, 2021\nAfter\ntoppling a series of provincial capitals\n, the\nTaliban sweeps into Kabul\nand takes control of the city. Ghani, the Afghan president, flees the country. The speed of the Taliban’s advance stuns Washington, which had expected the Afghan government to hold out longer. With just two weeks until the deadline for withdrawing, U.S. officials begin organizing a\nmassive evacuation\nfor Americans and Afghan allies.\n23\nAug. 26, 2021\nIslamic State terrorists, who are hostile to both the Taliban and the United States,\nattack the evacuation operation\n. Thirteen U.S. service members and nearly 200 Afghans are killed. Biden vows retaliation, and U.S. forces\nlaunch\ndrone strikes\nagainst the Islamic State affiliate in Kabul. A family says a drone strike\nkilled 10 people\n, including children, with no Islamic State affiliation; the U.S. is investigating.\n24\nAug. 31, 2021\nThe final U.S. troops depart\nthe night before the deadline for the withdrawal. At least 100 American citizens who wanted to leave are left behind, along with thousands of Afghan allies. Administration officials say they’ll continue to use diplomatic channels to provide safe passage.\nThe Taliban celebrates\nand asks Afghans to “stand united,” but many Afghans\nwait in fear\nof what the extremist group’s rule will bring.\nTaliban fighters ride in a truck past a helicopter left at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Tuesday.\n(Marcus Yam \/ Los Angeles Times)\nSign up for the L.A. Times California Politics newsletter\nDeeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox twice per week.\nBy continuing, you agree to our\nTerms of Service\n, which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our\nPrivacy Policy\nsuch as personalizing your experience and ads.\nFormer staff writer Chris Megerian covered the White House from the Los Angeles Times’ D.C. bureau until January 2022.\nMore From the Los Angeles Times\nPodcasts\nMost Read in Politics","attrs_markdown":"- [News](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/)\n  \n  - [Home Page](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/)\n  - [California](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california)\n  - [Election 2024](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/topic\/election-2024)\n  - [Housing & Homelessness](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/homeless-housing)\n  - [Politics](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics)\n  - [Science & Medicine](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/science)\n  - [World & Nation](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation)\n- [Business](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business)\n  \n  - [Artificial Intelligence](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/topic\/artificial-intelligence)\n  - [Autos](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/autos)\n  - [Jobs, Labor & Workplace](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/topic\/jobs-labor)\n  - [Real Estate](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/real-estate)\n  - [Technology and the Internet](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/technology)\n- [California](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/california)\n  \n  - [California Politics](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/topic\/california-law-politics)\n  - [Earthquakes](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/topic\/earthquakes)\n  - [Education](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/topic\/education)\n  - [Housing & Homelessness](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/homeless-housing)\n  - [L.A. 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Politics](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/topic\/la-politics)\n- [View All](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[Politics](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics)\n\n# A timeline: America’s war in Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001\n\n![U.S. soldiers take part in an operation in support of Afghan soldiers in Wardak province, Afghanistan, in 2013.](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/e9e8dac\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2037x1358+6+0\/resize\/2400x1600!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa1%2F84%2Fbbad75be4e506c6618f3727cb2f2%2Fla-fg-afghan-refugees-20160315-pg-001)\n\nU.S. soldiers take part in an operation in support of Afghan soldiers in Wardak province, Afghanistan, in 2013.\n\n(Carolyn Cole \/ Los Angeles Times)\n\nBy [Chris Megerian](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/people\/chris-megerian)Staff Writer\n\nAug. 31, 2021  Updated 12:15 PM PT\n\n- Share via\n  \n  Close extra sharing options\n  \n  - [Email](mailto:?body=A%20timeline%3A%20America%27s%20war%20in%20Afghanistan%20since%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline%0A%0AU.S.%20troops%20fought%20in%20Afghanistan%20longer%20than%20in%20any%20other%20war.%20Here%27s%20a%20look%20at%20major%20events%20over%20the%20last%20two%20decades.)\n  - [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline)\n  - [X](https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline&text=A%20timeline%3A%20America%27s%20war%20in%20Afghanistan%20since%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001)\n  - [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline&title=A%20timeline%3A%20America%27s%20war%20in%20Afghanistan%20since%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001&summary=U.S.%20troops%20fought%20in%20Afghanistan%20longer%20than%20in%20any%20other%20war.%20Here%27s%20a%20look%20at%20major%20events%20over%20the%20last%20two%20decades.&source=Los%20Angeles%20Times)\n  - [Threads](https:\/\/threads.net\/intent\/post?text=A%20timeline%3A%20America%27s%20war%20in%20Afghanistan%20since%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline)\n  - [Reddit](https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline&title=A%20timeline%3A%20America%27s%20war%20in%20Afghanistan%20since%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001)\n  - [WhatsApp](https:\/\/api.whatsapp.com\/send?text=A%20timeline%3A%20America%27s%20war%20in%20Afghanistan%20since%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline)\n  - Copy Link URL Copied\\!\n  - Print\n\n1\n\nNo American war lasted longer than the U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, which began two decades ago after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The final troops [left this week](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-30\/americas-longest-war-draws-to-a-close), the closing chapter in a chaotic evacuation from Kabul.\n\nAbout 2,500 service members died in the war. Although U.S. forces ousted the Taliban when they invaded, the fundamentalist group methodically rebuilt itself in the ensuing years before sweeping back into power during the American withdrawal.\n\nHere are some of the major events from the conflict.\n\n2\n\n### Sept. 11, 2001\nTerrorists from Al Qaeda, which was granted sanctuary in Afghanistan by the Taliban, [fly hijacked airliners](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/travel\/la-xpm-2001-sep-12-na-sept-11-attack-201105-01-story.html) into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia. A fourth plane crashes in Pennsylvania.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n3\n\n### Sept. 18, 2001\nPresident George W. Bush signs [a congressional resolution authorizing the use of force](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2001-sep-15-mn-46070-story.html) against those responsible for the attacks, a document that provides the foundation for years of military and intelligence operations.\n\n![An Afghan soldier pops up from his tank to signal a U.S. warplane flying overhead](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/661bebf\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2000x1124+0+0\/resize\/1200x674!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7b%2F7e%2F6b87f4cfc31d06d0eceeada2c5fe%2Fla-1490380351-d8ux538988-snap-image)\n\nAn Afghan soldier pops up from his tank to signal a U.S. warplane bombing Al Qaeda fighters in the White Mountains of Tora Bora in Afghanistan on Dec. 10, 2001.\n\n(David Guttenfelder \/ Associated Press )\n\n[![KABUL, AFGHANISTAN -- AUGUST 30, 2021: A military transport plane flies over as Relatives and neighbors of the Ahmadi family gathered around the incinerated husk of a vehicle targeted and hit earlier Sunday afternoon by an American drone strike, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (MARCUS YAM \/ LOS ANGELES TIMES)](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/1659080\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5487x3658+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fac%2F98%2F4038ac3d45be88ad24c0da8832f7%2Fla-photos-1staff-825198-fg-0830-fallofkabul-mwy-15242.JPG)](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-30\/photos-americas-longest-war-ends)\n\n[World & Nation](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation)\n\n### [Photos: America’s longest war ends as last U.S. troops leave Afghanistan](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-30\/photos-americas-longest-war-ends)\n\nThe last U.S. forces flew out of Kabul’s airport in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said Monday, bringing down the curtain on America’s longest war.\n\nAug. 30, 2021\n\n4\n\n### Oct. 7, 2001\nU.S. forces begin bombing the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Special forces and CIA operatives also deploy to support the Northern Alliance, which sweeps toward the capital of Kabul and conquers the city a month later.\n\n5\n\n### December 2001\nOsama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, is believed to have escaped into Pakistan while U.S. forces and allies attack a cave complex in the Tora Bora mountains.\n\n6\n\n### April 17, 2002\nBush announces a plan to help rebuild Afghanistan, and Congress approves \\$38 billion in spending. A transitional government led by Hamid Karzai is created in Kabul.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n7\n\n### Oct. 11, 2002\nPivoting to what the Bush administration alleged was the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Bush successfully presses Congress to authorize the use of force against the Middle Eastern nation. Ending a somber debate that pushed past midnight, the Senate votes, 77 to 23, for the resolution. The action came hours after the House gave its approval on a 296-133 vote.\n\n[![KABUL, AFGHANISTAN -- AUGUST 19, 2021: Afghans try to raise the national flag of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, despite the presence of Taliban fighters around them, during a rally for Independence Day at Pashtunistan Square in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. About 200 people rallied towards the city center chanting ODeath to Pakistan, God Bless Afghanistan, Long Live the National Flag of Afghanistan.O (MARCUS YAM \/ LOS ANGELES TIMES)](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/ef4eda0\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/6000x4000+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fac%2Fdb%2F7b9ea1344c2280c44d52a0408dd0%2Fla-photos-1staff-825198-fg-0819-fallofkabul-mwy-4892.JPG)](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-08-19\/afghanistan-what-went-wrong)\n\n[Politics](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics)\n\n### [News Analysis: What went wrong in Afghanistan?](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-08-19\/afghanistan-what-went-wrong)\n\nWith the Taliban in control in Afghanistan’s capital and the Biden administration under fire for a chaotic withdrawal, a look at what went wrong.\n\nAug. 19, 2021\n\n![Sailors crowded on deck watch President George W. Bush speak in front of a banner reading, \"Mission accomplished.\"](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/6093aa5\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1933x1238+0+0\/resize\/1200x769!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F21%2Fb1%2Fe1d6c5b94556a959765137491ead%2Fkcbush5a204366.jpg)\n\n“Major combat operations in Iraq have ended,” President Bush announced on May 1, 2003, in an address to the nation from the deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln off the San Diego coast.\n\n(K.C. Alfred \/ San Diego Union-Tribune)\n\n8\n\n### March 20, 2003\nAfter Iraq fails to turn over any weapons of mass destruction, U.S. and British troops sweep into southern Iraq in an invasion aimed at Baghdad.\n\n9\n\n### May 1, 2003\nSecretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says “major combat activity” is over. Bush separately declares, while standing in front of a “Mission accomplished” banner, that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended” after the U.S. overthrows Saddam Hussein there, though some U.S. troops will remain there though 2011.\n\n10\n\n### May 23, 2005\n[Karzai](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2005-may-24-fg-karzai24-story.html) [visits Bush](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2005-may-24-fg-karzai24-story.html) at the White House, and the two leaders sign an agreement strengthening ties. The U.S. pledges to train and equip Afghan security forces and to nurture the country’s economy and government, but a resurgent Taliban presents a growing threat.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n11\n\n### Feb. 17, 2009\nNewly elected President Obama announces that [he’ll send 17,000 more troops](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2009-feb-18-fg-afghan-troops18-story.html) to Afghanistan in hopes of stabilizing the country and beating back the Taliban.\n\n![Gen. Stanley McChrystal, wearing fatigues and a headset, looks out a window while riding in an aircraft.](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/9270aa9\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/500x300+0+0\/resize\/1200x720!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa7%2F8c%2Fdc6d606730f2c01296b33c80268f%2Fla-fg-afghan-general2-knnst5nc-span)\n\nGen. Stanley McChrystal led U.S. forces in Afghanistan for a year. He was removed in 2010 after a Rolling Stone article revealed sharp criticisms of the Obama administration within his inner circle.\n\n(Carolyn Cole \/ Los Angeles Times)\n\n12\n\n### Dec. 1, 2009\nObama announces plans to deploy another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, bringing the total to nearly 100,000. He also says [he’ll begin to withdraw troops in July 2011.](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2009-dec-01-la-fg-obama-analysis2-2009dec02-story.html) With the surge in forces, the military focuses on [Taliban strongholds in the southern part of the country.](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2009-dec-01-la-fg-afghan-military1-2009dec01-story.html)\n\n13\n\n### June 22, 2011\nObama says [he will begin withdrawing troops](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/la-xpm-2011-jun-23-la-pn-obama-afghanistan-20110623-story.html), although roughly 70,000 are expected to stay through 2014. [Preliminary negotiations with the Taliban](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world\/la-xpm-2011-jun-28-la-fg-afghan-talks-20110628-story.html) also begin.\n\n![Ashraf Ghani, center, was elected president of Afghanistan in 2014. He replaced Hamid Karzai.](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/6f3b17f\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2048x1363+0+0\/resize\/1200x799!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5a%2F2d%2F1650b8a2e767cb158abdb12f1545%2Fla-fg-afghanistan-ashraf-ghani-government-2014-001)\n\nAshraf Ghani, center, was elected president of Afghanistan in 2014. He replaced Hamid Karzai.\n\n(Wakil Kohsar \/ AFP \/ Getty Images )\n\nAdvertisement\n\n**Dec. 17, 2011**\n\nThe last U.S. troops leave Iraq, nearly nine years after they first poured into the country. The U.S. did not find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. U.S. troops and contractors will return in coming years to help the Iraqi government combat the rise of Islamic State.\n\n14\n\n### July 6, 2016\nDespite a major drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, [Obama pumps the brakes](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/nation\/la-fg-obama-afghanistan-troops-20160706-snap-story.html) on plans for a full withdrawal, ensuring that American involvement will continue after his term ends. “The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious,” he said. “Even as they improve, Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be.”\n\n15\n\n### Aug. 21, 2017\nPresident Trump, who once called for removing troops from Afghanistan, says [the military will continue operations there](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/la-na-pol-trump-afghanistan-20170821-story.html). He warns that a “hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists . . . would instantly fill, just as happened before Sept. 11.” He later sends another 3,000, bringing U.S. forces up to about 14,000.\n\n16\n\n### Jan. 28, 2019\nTaliban and U.S. officials meeting in Qatar [agree to begin intensive negotiations](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world\/la-fg-afghanistan-taliban-peace-explainer-20190128-story.html) to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan. The talks don’t involve the Afghan government, which the Taliban refuses to recognize.\n\n17\n\n### Sept. 2, 2019\nZalmay Khalilzad, the top U.S. negotiator, announces that “an agreement in principle” has been reached with the Taliban. The Taliban bombs an international compound in Kabul, killing 16 people. Three days later, it claims responsibility for another bomb that kills 10 people, including a U.S. service member. Trump had secretly planned to sit down with Taliban leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at Camp David, but [the meeting was called off.](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2019-09-07\/trump-weighs-deal-with-taliban)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n![Smoke rises behind crumbled walls of a building on a street with a large crater littered with debris](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/66802ac\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/840x560+0+0\/resize\/1200x800!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F77%2F2f%2F17a3362d410fb0240be10c061287%2Ftaliban.jpg)\n\nSmoke rises behind crumbled walls of a building on a street left with a large crater and littered with debris after a suicide bomb attack on an international compound in Kabul on Sept. 2, 2019.\n\n(Associated Press)\n\n18\n\n### Feb. 29, 2020\nThe [Trump administration and the Taliban reach an agreement](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2020-02-29\/u-s-taliban-sign-accord-to-end-afghanistan-war) to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. As part of the deal, the Taliban agrees to cut ties with Al Qaeda and refrain from attacking U.S. forces. In return, the U.S. pressures the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners.\n\n19\n\n### Nov. 17, 2020\nTrump loses the election to Democrat Joe Biden, but his administration continues pressing toward withdrawal. The Pentagon announces that it will soon have only 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. However, negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have stalled. Violence continues and many Afghan citizens [fear the Taliban’s return](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2020-11-16\/young-afghans-face-taliban-uncertain-future) would signal a new wave of brutality and repression, particularly against women. In addition, reports indicate that the Taliban never completely severed its relationships with terrorist groups.\n\n20\n\n### April 14, 2021\nPresident Biden pushes back the deadline for pulling out U.S. troops until Sept. 11, but he says [he’s committed to ending the war.](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-04-14\/biden-announces-troop-pullout-from-afghanistan) “We went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago,” Biden said. “That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021.”\n\n21\n\n### July 6, 2021\nU.S. forces abandon Bagram Airfield, its largest military facility in Afghanistan. Two days later, Biden says “speed is safety” when it comes to pulling out troops and the withdrawal will be finished on Aug. 31. The Taliban is gaining ground against the Afghan government, but [Biden insists on staying the course.](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-07-08\/biden-gives-status-report-on-drawdown-of-troops-from-afghanistan-amid-taliban-advances) . “How many thousands more American daughters and sons are you willing to risk?” he says. “How long would you have them stay?”\n\nAdvertisement\n\n![President Biden visits Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery.](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/c26e706\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/6000x4000+0+0\/resize\/1200x800!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F10%2F58%2F9b6177a949fcae455fce41d3219c%2Fbiden-crisis-leadership-89497.jpg)\n\nPresident Biden on April 14 visits Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where U.S. troops who died in Afghanistan are buried, after announcing his plans for withdrawal.\n\n(Andrew Harnik \/ Associated Press)\n\n22\n\n### Aug. 15, 2021\nAfter [toppling a series of provincial capitals](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-08-12\/biden-sending-troops-to-afghanistan-to-help-pull-americans-out-as-taliban-surges), the [Taliban sweeps into Kabul](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-15\/taliban-fighters-enter-kabul-then-pledge-not-to-take-afghan-capital-by-force) and takes control of the city. Ghani, the Afghan president, flees the country. The speed of the Taliban’s advance stuns Washington, which had expected the Afghan government to hold out longer. With just two weeks until the deadline for withdrawing, U.S. officials begin organizing a [massive evacuation](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-08-24\/biden-to-face-pressure-to-delay-afghanistan-withdrawal-at-g7-meeting) for Americans and Afghan allies.\n\n[![KABUL, AFGHANISTAN -- AUGUST 25, 2021: Women and children are made to crouch and wait outside the Taliban controlled check point near the Abbey Gate, before making their way towards the British military controlled entrance of the airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021. (MARCUS YAM \/ LOS ANGELES TIMES)](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/4cc751e\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/6000x4000+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F31%2Fa9%2Fff59d0bc418cba38207c8cb2f15c%2Fla-photos-1staff-825198-fg-0825-fallofkabul-mwy-10145.JPG)](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-26\/for-at-risk-afghan-women-nowhere-to-run-nowhere-to-hide)\n\n[World & Nation](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation)\n\n### [Doctors, judges, athletes, activists: Afghan women trapped and considered at-risk under Taliban rule](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-26\/for-at-risk-afghan-women-nowhere-to-run-nowhere-to-hide)\n\nIn Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, women who fear being targeted for their work see dwindling hope of escape.\n\nAug. 26, 2021\n\n23\n\n### Aug. 26, 2021\nIslamic State terrorists, who are hostile to both the Taliban and the United States, [attack the evacuation operation](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-08-26\/us-troops-killed-afghanistan-airport-bombing). Thirteen U.S. service members and nearly 200 Afghans are killed. Biden vows retaliation, and U.S. forces [launch](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-27\/us-strikes-islamic-state-for-bombing-afghanistan) [drone strikes](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-27\/us-strikes-islamic-state-for-bombing-afghanistan) against the Islamic State affiliate in Kabul. A family says a drone strike [killed 10 people](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-30\/family-says-several-children-killed-us-missile-strike-kabul), including children, with no Islamic State affiliation; the U.S. is investigating.\n\n24\n\n### Aug. 31, 2021\n[The final U.S. troops depart](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-30\/americas-longest-war-draws-to-a-close) the night before the deadline for the withdrawal. At least 100 American citizens who wanted to leave are left behind, along with thousands of Afghan allies. Administration officials say they’ll continue to use diplomatic channels to provide safe passage. [The Taliban celebrates](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-31\/taliban-declares-victory-after-us-exit) and asks Afghans to “stand united,” but many Afghans [wait in fear](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-07-18\/afghan-women-fear-return-taliban) of what the extremist group’s rule will bring.\n\n![Armed Taliban fighters ride in a truck past a helicopter left at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/1498f54\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/6000x4000+0+0\/resize\/1200x800!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2f%2Fa2%2Fe0022fd1487a89a6f1704a3cc7ee%2Fla-photos-1staff-825198-fg-0831-fallofkabul-mwy-18610.JPG)\n\nTaliban fighters ride in a truck past a helicopter left at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Tuesday.\n\n(Marcus Yam \/ Los Angeles Times)\n\nAdvertisement\n\n[Politics](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics)\n\n### Sign up for the L.A. 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So who was this man of many pseudonyms?\n- [![Smoglandia podcast logo](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/7aaf29f\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/897x600+1+0\/resize\/320x214!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc7%2Fe5%2F625fe49142e6877ecd8ece77b403%2Fsmoglandia-900x600.jpg)](https:\/\/link.pscrb.fm\/499e6\/bpwebrecmodule-7912e)\n  \n  ### [Boiling Point: Smoglandia Pt 6: FUTURE ELECTRIC, FUTURE TROUBLE](https:\/\/link.pscrb.fm\/499e6\/bpwebrecmodule-7912e)\n  Not for want of trying – cleaner power has created lots of engine experiments, most dramatically Caltech versus MIT in the great electric car race of 1968, a story you’ll hear from the winner.\n\n### Most Read in Politics\n- [![Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon, Thursday, April 16, 2026 in Washington. (AP Photo\/Kevin Wolf)](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/ee5525c\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5379x3586+5+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc7%2F6e%2F21bd903b40d1b05da1406fede83f%2Fpentagon-us-iran-83-77.jpg)](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2026-04-16\/hegseth-recites-pulp-fiction-speech-at-pentagon-prayer-service)\n  \n  [Politics](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics)\n  \n  ### [Hegseth recites ‘Pulp Fiction’ speech at Pentagon prayer service](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2026-04-16\/hegseth-recites-pulp-fiction-speech-at-pentagon-prayer-service)\n  \n  April 16, 2026\n- [![Displaced residents wave a flag with the image of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem as they return to their villages following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, in Zefta, southern Lebanon, Friday, April 17, 2026. (AP Photo\/Hassan Ammar)](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/bec7828\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/8640x5760+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F59%2F50%2F768ec80e48afb734905bc3e719d7%2Faptopix-lebanon-israel-iran-war-98577.jpg)](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2026-04-17\/strait-of-hormuz-fully-open)\n  \n  [Politics](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics)\n  \n  ### [Outlines of a deal emerge with major concessions to Iran](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2026-04-17\/strait-of-hormuz-fully-open)\n  \n  April 17, 2026\n- [![BEVERLY HILLS CA APRIL 14, 2026 --Attorney Lisa Bloom reaches towards an undated photo presented at a press conference of Lonna Drewes with former Congressman Eric Swalwell, Drewes, left, detailed a 2018 encounter during a Tuesday, April 14, 2026, news briefing in Beverly Hills, where she claimed former Congressman Eric Swalwell allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted her after offering professional mentorship. (Myun J. Chun \/ Los Angeles Times)](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/c819668\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2541x1694+0+8\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F79%2Fed%2F87e613864e4798d0d14cd5592da9%2F1550638-me-swalwell-accuser09-mjc.jpg)](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2026-04-17\/swalwell-sexual-assault-california-governor-accountability-facts-vs-rumors)\n  \n  Voices\n  \n  ### [Barabak: There’s a wide gap between rumor and fact. That’s where Eric Swalwell lurked](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2026-04-17\/swalwell-sexual-assault-california-governor-accountability-facts-vs-rumors)\n  \n  April 17, 2026\n\nAdvertisement\n\n![A California Times publication](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/a6\/d6\/eea0f1094fb281dbea09e0aa79cd\/art-caltimes-trademark-3x.png)\n\n[Subscribe for unlimited access](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/footersubscribe)  \n[Site Map](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/sitemap)\n\nFollow Us\n\n- [X](https:\/\/x.com\/latimes)\n- [Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/latimes\/)\n- [YouTube](https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/losangelestimes)\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/latimes)\n\n- - [eNewspaper](https:\/\/enewspaper.latimes.com\/)\n  - [Find\/Post Jobs](https:\/\/jobs.latimes.com\/)\n  - [Place an Ad](https:\/\/placeanad.latimes.com\/)\n  - [Media Kit: Why the L.A. 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Times Careers](https:\/\/careers.latimes.com\/)\n  - [Manage Subscription](https:\/\/membership.latimes.com\/)\n  - [Reprints and Permissions](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/about\/how-to-obtain-rights-permissions)\n\nCopyright © 2026, Los Angeles Times \\| [Terms of Service](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/terms-of-service) \\| [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/privacy-policy) \\| [CA Notice of Collection](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/privacy-policy#california-notice-of-collection) \\| [Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information](https:\/\/membership.latimes.com\/privacy-settings)","attrs_readable_markdown":"1\n\nNo American war lasted longer than the U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, which began two decades ago after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The final troops [left this week](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-30\/americas-longest-war-draws-to-a-close), the closing chapter in a chaotic evacuation from Kabul.\n\nAbout 2,500 service members died in the war. Although U.S. forces ousted the Taliban when they invaded, the fundamentalist group methodically rebuilt itself in the ensuing years before sweeping back into power during the American withdrawal.\n\nHere are some of the major events from the conflict.\n\n2\n\n### Sept. 11, 2001\nTerrorists from Al Qaeda, which was granted sanctuary in Afghanistan by the Taliban, [fly hijacked airliners](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/travel\/la-xpm-2001-sep-12-na-sept-11-attack-201105-01-story.html) into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia. A fourth plane crashes in Pennsylvania.\n\n3\n\n### Sept. 18, 2001\nPresident George W. Bush signs [a congressional resolution authorizing the use of force](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2001-sep-15-mn-46070-story.html) against those responsible for the attacks, a document that provides the foundation for years of military and intelligence operations.\n\n![An Afghan soldier pops up from his tank to signal a U.S. warplane flying overhead](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/661bebf\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2000x1124+0+0\/resize\/1200x674!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7b%2F7e%2F6b87f4cfc31d06d0eceeada2c5fe%2Fla-1490380351-d8ux538988-snap-image)\n\nAn Afghan soldier pops up from his tank to signal a U.S. warplane bombing Al Qaeda fighters in the White Mountains of Tora Bora in Afghanistan on Dec. 10, 2001.\n\n(David Guttenfelder \/ Associated Press )\n\n4\n\n### Oct. 7, 2001\nU.S. forces begin bombing the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Special forces and CIA operatives also deploy to support the Northern Alliance, which sweeps toward the capital of Kabul and conquers the city a month later.\n\n5\n\n### December 2001\nOsama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, is believed to have escaped into Pakistan while U.S. forces and allies attack a cave complex in the Tora Bora mountains.\n\n6\n\n### April 17, 2002\nBush announces a plan to help rebuild Afghanistan, and Congress approves \\$38 billion in spending. A transitional government led by Hamid Karzai is created in Kabul.\n\n7\n\n### Oct. 11, 2002\nPivoting to what the Bush administration alleged was the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Bush successfully presses Congress to authorize the use of force against the Middle Eastern nation. Ending a somber debate that pushed past midnight, the Senate votes, 77 to 23, for the resolution. The action came hours after the House gave its approval on a 296-133 vote.\n\n![Sailors crowded on deck watch President George W. Bush speak in front of a banner reading, \"Mission accomplished.\"](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/6093aa5\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1933x1238+0+0\/resize\/1200x769!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F21%2Fb1%2Fe1d6c5b94556a959765137491ead%2Fkcbush5a204366.jpg)\n\n“Major combat operations in Iraq have ended,” President Bush announced on May 1, 2003, in an address to the nation from the deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln off the San Diego coast.\n\n(K.C. Alfred \/ San Diego Union-Tribune)\n\n8\n\n### March 20, 2003\nAfter Iraq fails to turn over any weapons of mass destruction, U.S. and British troops sweep into southern Iraq in an invasion aimed at Baghdad.\n\n9\n\n### May 1, 2003\nSecretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says “major combat activity” is over. Bush separately declares, while standing in front of a “Mission accomplished” banner, that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended” after the U.S. overthrows Saddam Hussein there, though some U.S. troops will remain there though 2011.\n\n10\n\n### May 23, 2005\n[Karzai](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2005-may-24-fg-karzai24-story.html) [visits Bush](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2005-may-24-fg-karzai24-story.html) at the White House, and the two leaders sign an agreement strengthening ties. The U.S. pledges to train and equip Afghan security forces and to nurture the country’s economy and government, but a resurgent Taliban presents a growing threat.\n\n11\n\n### Feb. 17, 2009\nNewly elected President Obama announces that [he’ll send 17,000 more troops](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2009-feb-18-fg-afghan-troops18-story.html) to Afghanistan in hopes of stabilizing the country and beating back the Taliban.\n\n![Gen. Stanley McChrystal, wearing fatigues and a headset, looks out a window while riding in an aircraft.](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/9270aa9\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/500x300+0+0\/resize\/1200x720!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa7%2F8c%2Fdc6d606730f2c01296b33c80268f%2Fla-fg-afghan-general2-knnst5nc-span)\n\nGen. Stanley McChrystal led U.S. forces in Afghanistan for a year. He was removed in 2010 after a Rolling Stone article revealed sharp criticisms of the Obama administration within his inner circle.\n\n(Carolyn Cole \/ Los Angeles Times)\n\n12\n\n### Dec. 1, 2009\nObama announces plans to deploy another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, bringing the total to nearly 100,000. He also says [he’ll begin to withdraw troops in July 2011.](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2009-dec-01-la-fg-obama-analysis2-2009dec02-story.html) With the surge in forces, the military focuses on [Taliban strongholds in the southern part of the country.](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/archives\/la-xpm-2009-dec-01-la-fg-afghan-military1-2009dec01-story.html)\n\n13\n\n### June 22, 2011\nObama says [he will begin withdrawing troops](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/la-xpm-2011-jun-23-la-pn-obama-afghanistan-20110623-story.html), although roughly 70,000 are expected to stay through 2014. [Preliminary negotiations with the Taliban](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world\/la-xpm-2011-jun-28-la-fg-afghan-talks-20110628-story.html) also begin.\n\n![Ashraf Ghani, center, was elected president of Afghanistan in 2014. He replaced Hamid Karzai.](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/6f3b17f\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/2048x1363+0+0\/resize\/1200x799!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5a%2F2d%2F1650b8a2e767cb158abdb12f1545%2Fla-fg-afghanistan-ashraf-ghani-government-2014-001)\n\nAshraf Ghani, center, was elected president of Afghanistan in 2014. He replaced Hamid Karzai.\n\n(Wakil Kohsar \/ AFP \/ Getty Images )\n\n**Dec. 17, 2011**\n\nThe last U.S. troops leave Iraq, nearly nine years after they first poured into the country. The U.S. did not find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. U.S. troops and contractors will return in coming years to help the Iraqi government combat the rise of Islamic State.\n\n14\n\n### July 6, 2016\nDespite a major drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, [Obama pumps the brakes](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/nation\/la-fg-obama-afghanistan-troops-20160706-snap-story.html) on plans for a full withdrawal, ensuring that American involvement will continue after his term ends. “The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious,” he said. “Even as they improve, Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be.”\n\n15\n\n### Aug. 21, 2017\nPresident Trump, who once called for removing troops from Afghanistan, says [the military will continue operations there](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/la-na-pol-trump-afghanistan-20170821-story.html). He warns that a “hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists . . . would instantly fill, just as happened before Sept. 11.” He later sends another 3,000, bringing U.S. forces up to about 14,000.\n\n16\n\n### Jan. 28, 2019\nTaliban and U.S. officials meeting in Qatar [agree to begin intensive negotiations](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world\/la-fg-afghanistan-taliban-peace-explainer-20190128-story.html) to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan. The talks don’t involve the Afghan government, which the Taliban refuses to recognize.\n\n17\n\n### Sept. 2, 2019\nZalmay Khalilzad, the top U.S. negotiator, announces that “an agreement in principle” has been reached with the Taliban. The Taliban bombs an international compound in Kabul, killing 16 people. Three days later, it claims responsibility for another bomb that kills 10 people, including a U.S. service member. Trump had secretly planned to sit down with Taliban leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at Camp David, but [the meeting was called off.](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2019-09-07\/trump-weighs-deal-with-taliban)\n\n![Smoke rises behind crumbled walls of a building on a street with a large crater littered with debris](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/66802ac\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/840x560+0+0\/resize\/1200x800!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F77%2F2f%2F17a3362d410fb0240be10c061287%2Ftaliban.jpg)\n\nSmoke rises behind crumbled walls of a building on a street left with a large crater and littered with debris after a suicide bomb attack on an international compound in Kabul on Sept. 2, 2019.\n\n(Associated Press)\n\n18\n\n### Feb. 29, 2020\nThe [Trump administration and the Taliban reach an agreement](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2020-02-29\/u-s-taliban-sign-accord-to-end-afghanistan-war) to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. As part of the deal, the Taliban agrees to cut ties with Al Qaeda and refrain from attacking U.S. forces. In return, the U.S. pressures the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners.\n\n19\n\n### Nov. 17, 2020\nTrump loses the election to Democrat Joe Biden, but his administration continues pressing toward withdrawal. The Pentagon announces that it will soon have only 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. However, negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have stalled. Violence continues and many Afghan citizens [fear the Taliban’s return](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2020-11-16\/young-afghans-face-taliban-uncertain-future) would signal a new wave of brutality and repression, particularly against women. In addition, reports indicate that the Taliban never completely severed its relationships with terrorist groups.\n\n20\n\n### April 14, 2021\nPresident Biden pushes back the deadline for pulling out U.S. troops until Sept. 11, but he says [he’s committed to ending the war.](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-04-14\/biden-announces-troop-pullout-from-afghanistan) “We went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago,” Biden said. “That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021.”\n\n21\n\n### July 6, 2021\nU.S. forces abandon Bagram Airfield, its largest military facility in Afghanistan. Two days later, Biden says “speed is safety” when it comes to pulling out troops and the withdrawal will be finished on Aug. 31. The Taliban is gaining ground against the Afghan government, but [Biden insists on staying the course.](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-07-08\/biden-gives-status-report-on-drawdown-of-troops-from-afghanistan-amid-taliban-advances) . “How many thousands more American daughters and sons are you willing to risk?” he says. “How long would you have them stay?”\n\n![President Biden visits Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery.](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/c26e706\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/6000x4000+0+0\/resize\/1200x800!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F10%2F58%2F9b6177a949fcae455fce41d3219c%2Fbiden-crisis-leadership-89497.jpg)\n\nPresident Biden on April 14 visits Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where U.S. troops who died in Afghanistan are buried, after announcing his plans for withdrawal.\n\n(Andrew Harnik \/ Associated Press)\n\n22\n\n### Aug. 15, 2021\nAfter [toppling a series of provincial capitals](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-08-12\/biden-sending-troops-to-afghanistan-to-help-pull-americans-out-as-taliban-surges), the [Taliban sweeps into Kabul](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-15\/taliban-fighters-enter-kabul-then-pledge-not-to-take-afghan-capital-by-force) and takes control of the city. Ghani, the Afghan president, flees the country. The speed of the Taliban’s advance stuns Washington, which had expected the Afghan government to hold out longer. With just two weeks until the deadline for withdrawing, U.S. officials begin organizing a [massive evacuation](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-08-24\/biden-to-face-pressure-to-delay-afghanistan-withdrawal-at-g7-meeting) for Americans and Afghan allies.\n\n23\n\n### Aug. 26, 2021\nIslamic State terrorists, who are hostile to both the Taliban and the United States, [attack the evacuation operation](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/politics\/story\/2021-08-26\/us-troops-killed-afghanistan-airport-bombing). Thirteen U.S. service members and nearly 200 Afghans are killed. Biden vows retaliation, and U.S. forces [launch](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-27\/us-strikes-islamic-state-for-bombing-afghanistan) [drone strikes](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-27\/us-strikes-islamic-state-for-bombing-afghanistan) against the Islamic State affiliate in Kabul. A family says a drone strike [killed 10 people](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-30\/family-says-several-children-killed-us-missile-strike-kabul), including children, with no Islamic State affiliation; the U.S. is investigating.\n\n24\n\n### Aug. 31, 2021\n[The final U.S. troops depart](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-30\/americas-longest-war-draws-to-a-close) the night before the deadline for the withdrawal. At least 100 American citizens who wanted to leave are left behind, along with thousands of Afghan allies. Administration officials say they’ll continue to use diplomatic channels to provide safe passage. [The Taliban celebrates](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-08-31\/taliban-declares-victory-after-us-exit) and asks Afghans to “stand united,” but many Afghans [wait in fear](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/world-nation\/story\/2021-07-18\/afghan-women-fear-return-taliban) of what the extremist group’s rule will bring.\n\n![Armed Taliban fighters ride in a truck past a helicopter left at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/1498f54\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/6000x4000+0+0\/resize\/1200x800!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2f%2Fa2%2Fe0022fd1487a89a6f1704a3cc7ee%2Fla-photos-1staff-825198-fg-0831-fallofkabul-mwy-18610.JPG)\n\nTaliban fighters ride in a truck past a helicopter left at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Tuesday.\n\n(Marcus Yam \/ Los Angeles Times)\n\n### Sign up for the L.A. Times California Politics newsletter\nDeeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox twice per week.\n\nBy continuing, you agree to our [Terms of Service](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/terms-of-service), which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/privacy-policy) such as personalizing your experience and ads.\n\n[![](https:\/\/ca-times.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/f675ab2\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/1125x1125+438+0\/resize\/130x130!\/quality\/75\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F79%2F66%2F6090beddb32587330328f2f2f7ef%2Fimg-56d31ec6-turbine-la-bio-chris-megerian)](https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/people\/chris-megerian)\n\nFormer staff writer Chris Megerian covered the White House from the Los Angeles Times’ D.C. bureau until January 2022.\n\nMore From the Los Angeles Times\n\nPodcasts\n\nMost Read in Politics","meta_canonical":null,"ml_categories_json":"{\"\/News\":809,\"\/News\/World_News\":567,\"\/Law_and_Government\":250,\"\/Law_and_Government\/Military\":246,\"\/Law_and_Government\/Military\/Other\":207}","ml_types_json":"{\"\/Article\":988,\"\/Article\/News_Update\":755}","ml_intent_types_json":"{\"Informational\":999}","meta_language":"en-us","attrs_author":null,"attrs_publish_time":1630434454,"attrs_original_publish_time":1630434454,"attrs_is_republished":0,"attrs_nr_words":"2571","attrs_boilerpipe_nr_words":"1659","body_ext_links_number":22,"body_int_links_number":198,"meta_nofollow":0,"meta_noarchive":1,"props_was_rendered":0,"src_redirect":"","download_time_msec":481,"download_ttfb_msec":382,"download_size":85337}

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U.S. war in Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001: A timeline - Los Angeles Times

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U.S. troops fought in Afghanistan longer than in any other war. Here's a look at major events over the last two decades.

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1 No American war lasted longer than the U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, which began two decades ago after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The final troops left this week , the closing chapter in a chaotic evacuation from Kabul. About 2,500 service members died in the war. Although U.S. forces ousted the Taliban when they invaded, the fundamentalist group methodically rebuilt itself in the ensuing years before sweeping back into power during the American withdrawal. Here are some of the major events from the conflict. 2 Sept. 11, 2001 Terrorists from Al Qaeda, which was granted sanctuary in Afghanistan by the Taliban, fly hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia. A fourth plane crashes in Pennsylvania. 3 Sept. 18, 2001 President George W. Bush signs a congressional resolution authorizing the use of force against those responsible for the attacks, a document that provides the foundation for years of military and intelligence operations. An Afghan soldier pops up from his tank to signal a U.S. warplane bombing Al Qaeda fighters in the White Mountains of Tora Bora in Afghanistan on Dec. 10, 2001. (David Guttenfelder / Associated Press ) 4 Oct. 7, 2001 U.S. forces begin bombing the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Special forces and CIA operatives also deploy to support the Northern Alliance, which sweeps toward the capital of Kabul and conquers the city a month later. 5 December 2001 Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, is believed to have escaped into Pakistan while U.S. forces and allies attack a cave complex in the Tora Bora mountains. 6 April 17, 2002 Bush announces a plan to help rebuild Afghanistan, and Congress approves $38 billion in spending. A transitional government led by Hamid Karzai is created in Kabul. 7 Oct. 11, 2002 Pivoting to what the Bush administration alleged was the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Bush successfully presses Congress to authorize the use of force against the Middle Eastern nation. Ending a somber debate that pushed past midnight, the Senate votes, 77 to 23, for the resolution. The action came hours after the House gave its approval on a 296-133 vote. “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended,” President Bush announced on May 1, 2003, in an address to the nation from the deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln off the San Diego coast. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 March 20, 2003 After Iraq fails to turn over any weapons of mass destruction, U.S. and British troops sweep into southern Iraq in an invasion aimed at Baghdad. 9 May 1, 2003 Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says “major combat activity” is over. Bush separately declares, while standing in front of a “Mission accomplished” banner, that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended” after the U.S. overthrows Saddam Hussein there, though some U.S. troops will remain there though 2011. 10 May 23, 2005 Karzai visits Bush at the White House, and the two leaders sign an agreement strengthening ties. The U.S. pledges to train and equip Afghan security forces and to nurture the country’s economy and government, but a resurgent Taliban presents a growing threat. 11 Feb. 17, 2009 Newly elected President Obama announces that he’ll send 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan in hopes of stabilizing the country and beating back the Taliban. Gen. Stanley McChrystal led U.S. forces in Afghanistan for a year. He was removed in 2010 after a Rolling Stone article revealed sharp criticisms of the Obama administration within his inner circle. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 12 Dec. 1, 2009 Obama announces plans to deploy another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, bringing the total to nearly 100,000. He also says he’ll begin to withdraw troops in July 2011. With the surge in forces, the military focuses on Taliban strongholds in the southern part of the country. 13 June 22, 2011 Obama says he will begin withdrawing troops , although roughly 70,000 are expected to stay through 2014. Preliminary negotiations with the Taliban also begin. Ashraf Ghani, center, was elected president of Afghanistan in 2014. He replaced Hamid Karzai. (Wakil Kohsar / AFP / Getty Images ) Dec. 17, 2011 The last U.S. troops leave Iraq, nearly nine years after they first poured into the country. The U.S. did not find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. U.S. troops and contractors will return in coming years to help the Iraqi government combat the rise of Islamic State. 14 July 6, 2016 Despite a major drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Obama pumps the brakes on plans for a full withdrawal, ensuring that American involvement will continue after his term ends. “The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious,” he said. “Even as they improve, Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be.” 15 Aug. 21, 2017 President Trump, who once called for removing troops from Afghanistan, says the military will continue operations there . He warns that a “hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists . . . would instantly fill, just as happened before Sept. 11.” He later sends another 3,000, bringing U.S. forces up to about 14,000. 16 Jan. 28, 2019 Taliban and U.S. officials meeting in Qatar agree to begin intensive negotiations to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan. The talks don’t involve the Afghan government, which the Taliban refuses to recognize. 17 Sept. 2, 2019 Zalmay Khalilzad, the top U.S. negotiator, announces that “an agreement in principle” has been reached with the Taliban. The Taliban bombs an international compound in Kabul, killing 16 people. Three days later, it claims responsibility for another bomb that kills 10 people, including a U.S. service member. Trump had secretly planned to sit down with Taliban leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at Camp David, but the meeting was called off. Smoke rises behind crumbled walls of a building on a street left with a large crater and littered with debris after a suicide bomb attack on an international compound in Kabul on Sept. 2, 2019. (Associated Press) 18 Feb. 29, 2020 The Trump administration and the Taliban reach an agreement to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. As part of the deal, the Taliban agrees to cut ties with Al Qaeda and refrain from attacking U.S. forces. In return, the U.S. pressures the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners. 19 Nov. 17, 2020 Trump loses the election to Democrat Joe Biden, but his administration continues pressing toward withdrawal. The Pentagon announces that it will soon have only 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. However, negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have stalled. Violence continues and many Afghan citizens fear the Taliban’s return would signal a new wave of brutality and repression, particularly against women. In addition, reports indicate that the Taliban never completely severed its relationships with terrorist groups. 20 April 14, 2021 President Biden pushes back the deadline for pulling out U.S. troops until Sept. 11, but he says he’s committed to ending the war. “We went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago,” Biden said. “That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021.” 21 July 6, 2021 U.S. forces abandon Bagram Airfield, its largest military facility in Afghanistan. Two days later, Biden says “speed is safety” when it comes to pulling out troops and the withdrawal will be finished on Aug. 31. The Taliban is gaining ground against the Afghan government, but Biden insists on staying the course. . “How many thousands more American daughters and sons are you willing to risk?” he says. “How long would you have them stay?” President Biden on April 14 visits Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where U.S. troops who died in Afghanistan are buried, after announcing his plans for withdrawal. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) 22 Aug. 15, 2021 After toppling a series of provincial capitals , the Taliban sweeps into Kabul and takes control of the city. Ghani, the Afghan president, flees the country. The speed of the Taliban’s advance stuns Washington, which had expected the Afghan government to hold out longer. With just two weeks until the deadline for withdrawing, U.S. officials begin organizing a massive evacuation for Americans and Afghan allies. 23 Aug. 26, 2021 Islamic State terrorists, who are hostile to both the Taliban and the United States, attack the evacuation operation . Thirteen U.S. service members and nearly 200 Afghans are killed. Biden vows retaliation, and U.S. forces launch drone strikes against the Islamic State affiliate in Kabul. A family says a drone strike killed 10 people , including children, with no Islamic State affiliation; the U.S. is investigating. 24 Aug. 31, 2021 The final U.S. troops depart the night before the deadline for the withdrawal. At least 100 American citizens who wanted to leave are left behind, along with thousands of Afghan allies. Administration officials say they’ll continue to use diplomatic channels to provide safe passage. The Taliban celebrates and asks Afghans to “stand united,” but many Afghans wait in fear of what the extremist group’s rule will bring. Taliban fighters ride in a truck past a helicopter left at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Tuesday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Sign up for the L.A. Times California Politics newsletter Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox twice per week. By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service , which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our Privacy Policy such as personalizing your experience and ads. Former staff writer Chris Megerian covered the White House from the Los Angeles Times’ D.C. bureau until January 2022. More From the Los Angeles Times Podcasts Most Read in Politics

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Politics](https://www.latimes.com/topic/la-politics) - [View All](https://www.latimes.com/politics) Advertisement [Politics](https://www.latimes.com/politics) # A timeline: America’s war in Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001 ![U.S. soldiers take part in an operation in support of Afghan soldiers in Wardak province, Afghanistan, in 2013.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e9e8dac/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2037x1358+6+0/resize/2400x1600!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa1%2F84%2Fbbad75be4e506c6618f3727cb2f2%2Fla-fg-afghan-refugees-20160315-pg-001) U.S. soldiers take part in an operation in support of Afghan soldiers in Wardak province, Afghanistan, in 2013. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) By [Chris Megerian](https://www.latimes.com/people/chris-megerian)Staff Writer Aug. 31, 2021 Updated 12:15 PM PT - Share via Close extra sharing options - [Email](mailto:?body=A%20timeline%3A%20America%27s%20war%20in%20Afghanistan%20since%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline%0A%0AU.S.%20troops%20fought%20in%20Afghanistan%20longer%20than%20in%20any%20other%20war.%20Here%27s%20a%20look%20at%20major%20events%20over%20the%20last%20two%20decades.) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline) - [X](https://x.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline&text=A%20timeline%3A%20America%27s%20war%20in%20Afghanistan%20since%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline&title=A%20timeline%3A%20America%27s%20war%20in%20Afghanistan%20since%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001&summary=U.S.%20troops%20fought%20in%20Afghanistan%20longer%20than%20in%20any%20other%20war.%20Here%27s%20a%20look%20at%20major%20events%20over%20the%20last%20two%20decades.&source=Los%20Angeles%20Times) - [Threads](https://threads.net/intent/post?text=A%20timeline%3A%20America%27s%20war%20in%20Afghanistan%20since%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline) - [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline&title=A%20timeline%3A%20America%27s%20war%20in%20Afghanistan%20since%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001) - [WhatsApp](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?text=A%20timeline%3A%20America%27s%20war%20in%20Afghanistan%20since%20Sept.%2011%2C%202001%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fstory%2F2021-08-31%2Fu-s-military-operations-in-afghanistan-timeline) - Copy Link URL Copied\! - Print 1 No American war lasted longer than the U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, which began two decades ago after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The final troops [left this week](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-30/americas-longest-war-draws-to-a-close), the closing chapter in a chaotic evacuation from Kabul. About 2,500 service members died in the war. Although U.S. forces ousted the Taliban when they invaded, the fundamentalist group methodically rebuilt itself in the ensuing years before sweeping back into power during the American withdrawal. Here are some of the major events from the conflict. 2 ### Sept. 11, 2001 Terrorists from Al Qaeda, which was granted sanctuary in Afghanistan by the Taliban, [fly hijacked airliners](https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-xpm-2001-sep-12-na-sept-11-attack-201105-01-story.html) into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia. A fourth plane crashes in Pennsylvania. Advertisement 3 ### Sept. 18, 2001 President George W. Bush signs [a congressional resolution authorizing the use of force](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-sep-15-mn-46070-story.html) against those responsible for the attacks, a document that provides the foundation for years of military and intelligence operations. ![An Afghan soldier pops up from his tank to signal a U.S. warplane flying overhead](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/661bebf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1124+0+0/resize/1200x674!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7b%2F7e%2F6b87f4cfc31d06d0eceeada2c5fe%2Fla-1490380351-d8ux538988-snap-image) An Afghan soldier pops up from his tank to signal a U.S. warplane bombing Al Qaeda fighters in the White Mountains of Tora Bora in Afghanistan on Dec. 10, 2001. (David Guttenfelder / Associated Press ) [![KABUL, AFGHANISTAN -- AUGUST 30, 2021: A military transport plane flies over as Relatives and neighbors of the Ahmadi family gathered around the incinerated husk of a vehicle targeted and hit earlier Sunday afternoon by an American drone strike, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (MARCUS YAM / LOS ANGELES TIMES)](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1659080/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5487x3658+0+0/resize/840x560!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fac%2F98%2F4038ac3d45be88ad24c0da8832f7%2Fla-photos-1staff-825198-fg-0830-fallofkabul-mwy-15242.JPG)](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-30/photos-americas-longest-war-ends) [World & Nation](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation) ### [Photos: America’s longest war ends as last U.S. troops leave Afghanistan](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-30/photos-americas-longest-war-ends) The last U.S. forces flew out of Kabul’s airport in Afghanistan, the Pentagon said Monday, bringing down the curtain on America’s longest war. Aug. 30, 2021 4 ### Oct. 7, 2001 U.S. forces begin bombing the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Special forces and CIA operatives also deploy to support the Northern Alliance, which sweeps toward the capital of Kabul and conquers the city a month later. 5 ### December 2001 Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, is believed to have escaped into Pakistan while U.S. forces and allies attack a cave complex in the Tora Bora mountains. 6 ### April 17, 2002 Bush announces a plan to help rebuild Afghanistan, and Congress approves \$38 billion in spending. A transitional government led by Hamid Karzai is created in Kabul. Advertisement 7 ### Oct. 11, 2002 Pivoting to what the Bush administration alleged was the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Bush successfully presses Congress to authorize the use of force against the Middle Eastern nation. Ending a somber debate that pushed past midnight, the Senate votes, 77 to 23, for the resolution. The action came hours after the House gave its approval on a 296-133 vote. [![KABUL, AFGHANISTAN -- AUGUST 19, 2021: Afghans try to raise the national flag of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, despite the presence of Taliban fighters around them, during a rally for Independence Day at Pashtunistan Square in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. About 200 people rallied towards the city center chanting ODeath to Pakistan, God Bless Afghanistan, Long Live the National Flag of Afghanistan.O (MARCUS YAM / LOS ANGELES TIMES)](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ef4eda0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/840x560!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fac%2Fdb%2F7b9ea1344c2280c44d52a0408dd0%2Fla-photos-1staff-825198-fg-0819-fallofkabul-mwy-4892.JPG)](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-19/afghanistan-what-went-wrong) [Politics](https://www.latimes.com/politics) ### [News Analysis: What went wrong in Afghanistan?](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-19/afghanistan-what-went-wrong) With the Taliban in control in Afghanistan’s capital and the Biden administration under fire for a chaotic withdrawal, a look at what went wrong. Aug. 19, 2021 ![Sailors crowded on deck watch President George W. Bush speak in front of a banner reading, "Mission accomplished."](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6093aa5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1933x1238+0+0/resize/1200x769!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F21%2Fb1%2Fe1d6c5b94556a959765137491ead%2Fkcbush5a204366.jpg) “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended,” President Bush announced on May 1, 2003, in an address to the nation from the deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln off the San Diego coast. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 ### March 20, 2003 After Iraq fails to turn over any weapons of mass destruction, U.S. and British troops sweep into southern Iraq in an invasion aimed at Baghdad. 9 ### May 1, 2003 Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says “major combat activity” is over. Bush separately declares, while standing in front of a “Mission accomplished” banner, that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended” after the U.S. overthrows Saddam Hussein there, though some U.S. troops will remain there though 2011. 10 ### May 23, 2005 [Karzai](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-may-24-fg-karzai24-story.html) [visits Bush](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-may-24-fg-karzai24-story.html) at the White House, and the two leaders sign an agreement strengthening ties. The U.S. pledges to train and equip Afghan security forces and to nurture the country’s economy and government, but a resurgent Taliban presents a growing threat. Advertisement 11 ### Feb. 17, 2009 Newly elected President Obama announces that [he’ll send 17,000 more troops](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-feb-18-fg-afghan-troops18-story.html) to Afghanistan in hopes of stabilizing the country and beating back the Taliban. ![Gen. Stanley McChrystal, wearing fatigues and a headset, looks out a window while riding in an aircraft.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9270aa9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/500x300+0+0/resize/1200x720!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa7%2F8c%2Fdc6d606730f2c01296b33c80268f%2Fla-fg-afghan-general2-knnst5nc-span) Gen. Stanley McChrystal led U.S. forces in Afghanistan for a year. He was removed in 2010 after a Rolling Stone article revealed sharp criticisms of the Obama administration within his inner circle. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 12 ### Dec. 1, 2009 Obama announces plans to deploy another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, bringing the total to nearly 100,000. He also says [he’ll begin to withdraw troops in July 2011.](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-dec-01-la-fg-obama-analysis2-2009dec02-story.html) With the surge in forces, the military focuses on [Taliban strongholds in the southern part of the country.](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-dec-01-la-fg-afghan-military1-2009dec01-story.html) 13 ### June 22, 2011 Obama says [he will begin withdrawing troops](https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-xpm-2011-jun-23-la-pn-obama-afghanistan-20110623-story.html), although roughly 70,000 are expected to stay through 2014. [Preliminary negotiations with the Taliban](https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2011-jun-28-la-fg-afghan-talks-20110628-story.html) also begin. ![Ashraf Ghani, center, was elected president of Afghanistan in 2014. He replaced Hamid Karzai.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6f3b17f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048x1363+0+0/resize/1200x799!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5a%2F2d%2F1650b8a2e767cb158abdb12f1545%2Fla-fg-afghanistan-ashraf-ghani-government-2014-001) Ashraf Ghani, center, was elected president of Afghanistan in 2014. He replaced Hamid Karzai. (Wakil Kohsar / AFP / Getty Images ) Advertisement **Dec. 17, 2011** The last U.S. troops leave Iraq, nearly nine years after they first poured into the country. The U.S. did not find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. U.S. troops and contractors will return in coming years to help the Iraqi government combat the rise of Islamic State. 14 ### July 6, 2016 Despite a major drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, [Obama pumps the brakes](https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-fg-obama-afghanistan-troops-20160706-snap-story.html) on plans for a full withdrawal, ensuring that American involvement will continue after his term ends. “The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious,” he said. “Even as they improve, Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be.” 15 ### Aug. 21, 2017 President Trump, who once called for removing troops from Afghanistan, says [the military will continue operations there](https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-afghanistan-20170821-story.html). He warns that a “hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists . . . would instantly fill, just as happened before Sept. 11.” He later sends another 3,000, bringing U.S. forces up to about 14,000. 16 ### Jan. 28, 2019 Taliban and U.S. officials meeting in Qatar [agree to begin intensive negotiations](https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-afghanistan-taliban-peace-explainer-20190128-story.html) to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan. The talks don’t involve the Afghan government, which the Taliban refuses to recognize. 17 ### Sept. 2, 2019 Zalmay Khalilzad, the top U.S. negotiator, announces that “an agreement in principle” has been reached with the Taliban. The Taliban bombs an international compound in Kabul, killing 16 people. Three days later, it claims responsibility for another bomb that kills 10 people, including a U.S. service member. Trump had secretly planned to sit down with Taliban leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at Camp David, but [the meeting was called off.](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-09-07/trump-weighs-deal-with-taliban) Advertisement ![Smoke rises behind crumbled walls of a building on a street with a large crater littered with debris](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/66802ac/2147483647/strip/true/crop/840x560+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F77%2F2f%2F17a3362d410fb0240be10c061287%2Ftaliban.jpg) Smoke rises behind crumbled walls of a building on a street left with a large crater and littered with debris after a suicide bomb attack on an international compound in Kabul on Sept. 2, 2019. (Associated Press) 18 ### Feb. 29, 2020 The [Trump administration and the Taliban reach an agreement](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-02-29/u-s-taliban-sign-accord-to-end-afghanistan-war) to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. As part of the deal, the Taliban agrees to cut ties with Al Qaeda and refrain from attacking U.S. forces. In return, the U.S. pressures the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners. 19 ### Nov. 17, 2020 Trump loses the election to Democrat Joe Biden, but his administration continues pressing toward withdrawal. The Pentagon announces that it will soon have only 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. However, negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have stalled. Violence continues and many Afghan citizens [fear the Taliban’s return](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-11-16/young-afghans-face-taliban-uncertain-future) would signal a new wave of brutality and repression, particularly against women. In addition, reports indicate that the Taliban never completely severed its relationships with terrorist groups. 20 ### April 14, 2021 President Biden pushes back the deadline for pulling out U.S. troops until Sept. 11, but he says [he’s committed to ending the war.](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-04-14/biden-announces-troop-pullout-from-afghanistan) “We went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago,” Biden said. “That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021.” 21 ### July 6, 2021 U.S. forces abandon Bagram Airfield, its largest military facility in Afghanistan. Two days later, Biden says “speed is safety” when it comes to pulling out troops and the withdrawal will be finished on Aug. 31. The Taliban is gaining ground against the Afghan government, but [Biden insists on staying the course.](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-07-08/biden-gives-status-report-on-drawdown-of-troops-from-afghanistan-amid-taliban-advances) . “How many thousands more American daughters and sons are you willing to risk?” he says. “How long would you have them stay?” Advertisement ![President Biden visits Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c26e706/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F10%2F58%2F9b6177a949fcae455fce41d3219c%2Fbiden-crisis-leadership-89497.jpg) President Biden on April 14 visits Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where U.S. troops who died in Afghanistan are buried, after announcing his plans for withdrawal. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) 22 ### Aug. 15, 2021 After [toppling a series of provincial capitals](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-12/biden-sending-troops-to-afghanistan-to-help-pull-americans-out-as-taliban-surges), the [Taliban sweeps into Kabul](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-15/taliban-fighters-enter-kabul-then-pledge-not-to-take-afghan-capital-by-force) and takes control of the city. Ghani, the Afghan president, flees the country. The speed of the Taliban’s advance stuns Washington, which had expected the Afghan government to hold out longer. With just two weeks until the deadline for withdrawing, U.S. officials begin organizing a [massive evacuation](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-24/biden-to-face-pressure-to-delay-afghanistan-withdrawal-at-g7-meeting) for Americans and Afghan allies. [![KABUL, AFGHANISTAN -- AUGUST 25, 2021: Women and children are made to crouch and wait outside the Taliban controlled check point near the Abbey Gate, before making their way towards the British military controlled entrance of the airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021. (MARCUS YAM / LOS ANGELES TIMES)](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4cc751e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/840x560!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F31%2Fa9%2Fff59d0bc418cba38207c8cb2f15c%2Fla-photos-1staff-825198-fg-0825-fallofkabul-mwy-10145.JPG)](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-26/for-at-risk-afghan-women-nowhere-to-run-nowhere-to-hide) [World & Nation](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation) ### [Doctors, judges, athletes, activists: Afghan women trapped and considered at-risk under Taliban rule](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-26/for-at-risk-afghan-women-nowhere-to-run-nowhere-to-hide) In Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, women who fear being targeted for their work see dwindling hope of escape. Aug. 26, 2021 23 ### Aug. 26, 2021 Islamic State terrorists, who are hostile to both the Taliban and the United States, [attack the evacuation operation](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-26/us-troops-killed-afghanistan-airport-bombing). Thirteen U.S. service members and nearly 200 Afghans are killed. Biden vows retaliation, and U.S. forces [launch](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-27/us-strikes-islamic-state-for-bombing-afghanistan) [drone strikes](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-27/us-strikes-islamic-state-for-bombing-afghanistan) against the Islamic State affiliate in Kabul. A family says a drone strike [killed 10 people](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-30/family-says-several-children-killed-us-missile-strike-kabul), including children, with no Islamic State affiliation; the U.S. is investigating. 24 ### Aug. 31, 2021 [The final U.S. troops depart](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-30/americas-longest-war-draws-to-a-close) the night before the deadline for the withdrawal. At least 100 American citizens who wanted to leave are left behind, along with thousands of Afghan allies. Administration officials say they’ll continue to use diplomatic channels to provide safe passage. [The Taliban celebrates](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-31/taliban-declares-victory-after-us-exit) and asks Afghans to “stand united,” but many Afghans [wait in fear](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-07-18/afghan-women-fear-return-taliban) of what the extremist group’s rule will bring. ![Armed Taliban fighters ride in a truck past a helicopter left at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1498f54/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2f%2Fa2%2Fe0022fd1487a89a6f1704a3cc7ee%2Fla-photos-1staff-825198-fg-0831-fallofkabul-mwy-18610.JPG) Taliban fighters ride in a truck past a helicopter left at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Tuesday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Advertisement [Politics](https://www.latimes.com/politics) ### Sign up for the L.A. 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Readable Markdown

1 No American war lasted longer than the U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, which began two decades ago after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The final troops [left this week](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-30/americas-longest-war-draws-to-a-close), the closing chapter in a chaotic evacuation from Kabul. About 2,500 service members died in the war. Although U.S. forces ousted the Taliban when they invaded, the fundamentalist group methodically rebuilt itself in the ensuing years before sweeping back into power during the American withdrawal. Here are some of the major events from the conflict. 2 ### Sept. 11, 2001 Terrorists from Al Qaeda, which was granted sanctuary in Afghanistan by the Taliban, [fly hijacked airliners](https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-xpm-2001-sep-12-na-sept-11-attack-201105-01-story.html) into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Virginia. A fourth plane crashes in Pennsylvania. 3 ### Sept. 18, 2001 President George W. Bush signs [a congressional resolution authorizing the use of force](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-sep-15-mn-46070-story.html) against those responsible for the attacks, a document that provides the foundation for years of military and intelligence operations. ![An Afghan soldier pops up from his tank to signal a U.S. warplane flying overhead](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/661bebf/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1124+0+0/resize/1200x674!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F7b%2F7e%2F6b87f4cfc31d06d0eceeada2c5fe%2Fla-1490380351-d8ux538988-snap-image) An Afghan soldier pops up from his tank to signal a U.S. warplane bombing Al Qaeda fighters in the White Mountains of Tora Bora in Afghanistan on Dec. 10, 2001. (David Guttenfelder / Associated Press ) 4 ### Oct. 7, 2001 U.S. forces begin bombing the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Special forces and CIA operatives also deploy to support the Northern Alliance, which sweeps toward the capital of Kabul and conquers the city a month later. 5 ### December 2001 Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, is believed to have escaped into Pakistan while U.S. forces and allies attack a cave complex in the Tora Bora mountains. 6 ### April 17, 2002 Bush announces a plan to help rebuild Afghanistan, and Congress approves \$38 billion in spending. A transitional government led by Hamid Karzai is created in Kabul. 7 ### Oct. 11, 2002 Pivoting to what the Bush administration alleged was the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Bush successfully presses Congress to authorize the use of force against the Middle Eastern nation. Ending a somber debate that pushed past midnight, the Senate votes, 77 to 23, for the resolution. The action came hours after the House gave its approval on a 296-133 vote. ![Sailors crowded on deck watch President George W. Bush speak in front of a banner reading, "Mission accomplished."](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6093aa5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1933x1238+0+0/resize/1200x769!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F21%2Fb1%2Fe1d6c5b94556a959765137491ead%2Fkcbush5a204366.jpg) “Major combat operations in Iraq have ended,” President Bush announced on May 1, 2003, in an address to the nation from the deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln off the San Diego coast. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 ### March 20, 2003 After Iraq fails to turn over any weapons of mass destruction, U.S. and British troops sweep into southern Iraq in an invasion aimed at Baghdad. 9 ### May 1, 2003 Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld says “major combat activity” is over. Bush separately declares, while standing in front of a “Mission accomplished” banner, that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended” after the U.S. overthrows Saddam Hussein there, though some U.S. troops will remain there though 2011. 10 ### May 23, 2005 [Karzai](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-may-24-fg-karzai24-story.html) [visits Bush](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-may-24-fg-karzai24-story.html) at the White House, and the two leaders sign an agreement strengthening ties. The U.S. pledges to train and equip Afghan security forces and to nurture the country’s economy and government, but a resurgent Taliban presents a growing threat. 11 ### Feb. 17, 2009 Newly elected President Obama announces that [he’ll send 17,000 more troops](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-feb-18-fg-afghan-troops18-story.html) to Afghanistan in hopes of stabilizing the country and beating back the Taliban. ![Gen. Stanley McChrystal, wearing fatigues and a headset, looks out a window while riding in an aircraft.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9270aa9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/500x300+0+0/resize/1200x720!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fa7%2F8c%2Fdc6d606730f2c01296b33c80268f%2Fla-fg-afghan-general2-knnst5nc-span) Gen. Stanley McChrystal led U.S. forces in Afghanistan for a year. He was removed in 2010 after a Rolling Stone article revealed sharp criticisms of the Obama administration within his inner circle. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 12 ### Dec. 1, 2009 Obama announces plans to deploy another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, bringing the total to nearly 100,000. He also says [he’ll begin to withdraw troops in July 2011.](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-dec-01-la-fg-obama-analysis2-2009dec02-story.html) With the surge in forces, the military focuses on [Taliban strongholds in the southern part of the country.](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-dec-01-la-fg-afghan-military1-2009dec01-story.html) 13 ### June 22, 2011 Obama says [he will begin withdrawing troops](https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-xpm-2011-jun-23-la-pn-obama-afghanistan-20110623-story.html), although roughly 70,000 are expected to stay through 2014. [Preliminary negotiations with the Taliban](https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2011-jun-28-la-fg-afghan-talks-20110628-story.html) also begin. ![Ashraf Ghani, center, was elected president of Afghanistan in 2014. He replaced Hamid Karzai.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6f3b17f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2048x1363+0+0/resize/1200x799!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5a%2F2d%2F1650b8a2e767cb158abdb12f1545%2Fla-fg-afghanistan-ashraf-ghani-government-2014-001) Ashraf Ghani, center, was elected president of Afghanistan in 2014. He replaced Hamid Karzai. (Wakil Kohsar / AFP / Getty Images ) **Dec. 17, 2011** The last U.S. troops leave Iraq, nearly nine years after they first poured into the country. The U.S. did not find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. U.S. troops and contractors will return in coming years to help the Iraqi government combat the rise of Islamic State. 14 ### July 6, 2016 Despite a major drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, [Obama pumps the brakes](https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-fg-obama-afghanistan-troops-20160706-snap-story.html) on plans for a full withdrawal, ensuring that American involvement will continue after his term ends. “The security situation in Afghanistan remains precarious,” he said. “Even as they improve, Afghan security forces are still not as strong as they need to be.” 15 ### Aug. 21, 2017 President Trump, who once called for removing troops from Afghanistan, says [the military will continue operations there](https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-afghanistan-20170821-story.html). He warns that a “hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists . . . would instantly fill, just as happened before Sept. 11.” He later sends another 3,000, bringing U.S. forces up to about 14,000. 16 ### Jan. 28, 2019 Taliban and U.S. officials meeting in Qatar [agree to begin intensive negotiations](https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-afghanistan-taliban-peace-explainer-20190128-story.html) to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan. The talks don’t involve the Afghan government, which the Taliban refuses to recognize. 17 ### Sept. 2, 2019 Zalmay Khalilzad, the top U.S. negotiator, announces that “an agreement in principle” has been reached with the Taliban. The Taliban bombs an international compound in Kabul, killing 16 people. Three days later, it claims responsibility for another bomb that kills 10 people, including a U.S. service member. Trump had secretly planned to sit down with Taliban leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at Camp David, but [the meeting was called off.](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-09-07/trump-weighs-deal-with-taliban) ![Smoke rises behind crumbled walls of a building on a street with a large crater littered with debris](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/66802ac/2147483647/strip/true/crop/840x560+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F77%2F2f%2F17a3362d410fb0240be10c061287%2Ftaliban.jpg) Smoke rises behind crumbled walls of a building on a street left with a large crater and littered with debris after a suicide bomb attack on an international compound in Kabul on Sept. 2, 2019. (Associated Press) 18 ### Feb. 29, 2020 The [Trump administration and the Taliban reach an agreement](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-02-29/u-s-taliban-sign-accord-to-end-afghanistan-war) to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. As part of the deal, the Taliban agrees to cut ties with Al Qaeda and refrain from attacking U.S. forces. In return, the U.S. pressures the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners. 19 ### Nov. 17, 2020 Trump loses the election to Democrat Joe Biden, but his administration continues pressing toward withdrawal. The Pentagon announces that it will soon have only 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. However, negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban have stalled. Violence continues and many Afghan citizens [fear the Taliban’s return](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-11-16/young-afghans-face-taliban-uncertain-future) would signal a new wave of brutality and repression, particularly against women. In addition, reports indicate that the Taliban never completely severed its relationships with terrorist groups. 20 ### April 14, 2021 President Biden pushes back the deadline for pulling out U.S. troops until Sept. 11, but he says [he’s committed to ending the war.](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-04-14/biden-announces-troop-pullout-from-afghanistan) “We went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago,” Biden said. “That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021.” 21 ### July 6, 2021 U.S. forces abandon Bagram Airfield, its largest military facility in Afghanistan. Two days later, Biden says “speed is safety” when it comes to pulling out troops and the withdrawal will be finished on Aug. 31. The Taliban is gaining ground against the Afghan government, but [Biden insists on staying the course.](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-07-08/biden-gives-status-report-on-drawdown-of-troops-from-afghanistan-amid-taliban-advances) . “How many thousands more American daughters and sons are you willing to risk?” he says. “How long would you have them stay?” ![President Biden visits Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c26e706/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F10%2F58%2F9b6177a949fcae455fce41d3219c%2Fbiden-crisis-leadership-89497.jpg) President Biden on April 14 visits Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where U.S. troops who died in Afghanistan are buried, after announcing his plans for withdrawal. (Andrew Harnik / Associated Press) 22 ### Aug. 15, 2021 After [toppling a series of provincial capitals](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-12/biden-sending-troops-to-afghanistan-to-help-pull-americans-out-as-taliban-surges), the [Taliban sweeps into Kabul](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-15/taliban-fighters-enter-kabul-then-pledge-not-to-take-afghan-capital-by-force) and takes control of the city. Ghani, the Afghan president, flees the country. The speed of the Taliban’s advance stuns Washington, which had expected the Afghan government to hold out longer. With just two weeks until the deadline for withdrawing, U.S. officials begin organizing a [massive evacuation](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-24/biden-to-face-pressure-to-delay-afghanistan-withdrawal-at-g7-meeting) for Americans and Afghan allies. 23 ### Aug. 26, 2021 Islamic State terrorists, who are hostile to both the Taliban and the United States, [attack the evacuation operation](https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-08-26/us-troops-killed-afghanistan-airport-bombing). Thirteen U.S. service members and nearly 200 Afghans are killed. Biden vows retaliation, and U.S. forces [launch](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-27/us-strikes-islamic-state-for-bombing-afghanistan) [drone strikes](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-27/us-strikes-islamic-state-for-bombing-afghanistan) against the Islamic State affiliate in Kabul. A family says a drone strike [killed 10 people](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-30/family-says-several-children-killed-us-missile-strike-kabul), including children, with no Islamic State affiliation; the U.S. is investigating. 24 ### Aug. 31, 2021 [The final U.S. troops depart](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-30/americas-longest-war-draws-to-a-close) the night before the deadline for the withdrawal. At least 100 American citizens who wanted to leave are left behind, along with thousands of Afghan allies. Administration officials say they’ll continue to use diplomatic channels to provide safe passage. [The Taliban celebrates](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-08-31/taliban-declares-victory-after-us-exit) and asks Afghans to “stand united,” but many Afghans [wait in fear](https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-07-18/afghan-women-fear-return-taliban) of what the extremist group’s rule will bring. ![Armed Taliban fighters ride in a truck past a helicopter left at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1498f54/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/1200x800!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2f%2Fa2%2Fe0022fd1487a89a6f1704a3cc7ee%2Fla-photos-1staff-825198-fg-0831-fallofkabul-mwy-18610.JPG) Taliban fighters ride in a truck past a helicopter left at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Tuesday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) ### Sign up for the L.A. Times California Politics newsletter Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox twice per week. By continuing, you agree to our [Terms of Service](https://www.latimes.com/terms-of-service), which include arbitration and a class action waiver. You agree that we and our third-party vendors may collect and use your information, including through cookies, pixels and similar technologies, for the purposes set forth in our [Privacy Policy](https://www.latimes.com/privacy-policy) such as personalizing your experience and ads. [![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f675ab2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1125x1125+438+0/resize/130x130!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F79%2F66%2F6090beddb32587330328f2f2f7ef%2Fimg-56d31ec6-turbine-la-bio-chris-megerian)](https://www.latimes.com/people/chris-megerian) Former staff writer Chris Megerian covered the White House from the Los Angeles Times’ D.C. bureau until January 2022. More From the Los Angeles Times Podcasts Most Read in Politics

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