Timeline of Afghanistan War

[David]

AP


Key events in Afghanistan War:

Oct. 7, 2001 — U.S. and British forces begin airstrikes in Afghanistan after the Taliban refuse to hand over al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, blamed for the 9/11 attacks.

Nov. 13, 2001 — Taliban fighters abandon Kabul after weeks of air assaults. About 1,300 U.S. troops involved in offensive.

Dec. 7, 2001 — Taliban stronghold Kandahar falls. Bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar escape.

June 13, 2002 — Hamid Karzai is elected as head of state of a new interim government by the loya jirga, or grand council.

August 2003 — NATO deploys troops to Kabul for a peacekeeping mission. The force later expands to other areas and numbers 11,000. The U.S. has more than 10,000 troops in Afghanistan.

Jan. 4, 2004 — Council of elders ratifies a new constitution, making Afghanistan an Islamic state with a strong president.

Oct. 9, 2004 — Karzai wins Afghanistan's first presidential election.

September 2008 — Extremist attacks have made this the most violent year since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion began, with at least 120 U.S. troop deaths and 104 from other NATO nations. There are now 31,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Jan. 30, 2009 — Shortly after President Barack Obama's inauguration, there are 36,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan. NATO forces total 32,000.

Feb. 17, 2009 — Obama approves adding some 17,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

May 11, 2009 — Top U.S. general in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, is replaced as Obama tries to turn around the stalemated war.

June 9, 2009 — First deployment of Marines moves into Afghanistan; by June 9, more than 10,000 are in place to ramp up operations against the Taliban.

Sept. 21, 2009 — Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, says in a confidential report that without additional forces, the war against insurgents will end in failure.

Oct. 20, 2009 — Karzai bows to intense U.S. pressure and agrees to a runoff election, acknowledging he fell short of a majority after U.N.-backed auditors stripped him of nearly a third of his votes. Two weeks later his challenger drops out of the race, and Karzai is declared the winner.

October 2009 — October becomes the deadliest month with 58 U.S. troops killed. Officials expect Obama to make a decision soon to deploy 32,000 to 35,000 more U.S. forces.

Dec. 1, 2009 — In a speech from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Obama outlines his decision to rapidly expand the U.S. role in the war in Afghanistan. The Associated Press reports ahead of the speech that Obama will send an additional 30,000 troops. About 71,000 U.S. troops are currently in Afghanistan. At least 849 U.S. troops have been killed so far in the war.

[darrels joy]

White House: July 2011 Is Locked In for Afghanistan Withdrawal

(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

During the Senate Armed Services hearing today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates was pressed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. on whether the July 2011 date for beginning to withdrawal troops is "locked in."

Gates seemed to suggest there was some flexibility, that "it was a clear statement of his strong intent" and that "the president always has the freedom to re-evaluate his decisions." After the hearing Graham said he took that to mean the date is "not locked in" and will depend on conditions on the ground.

It was a point of contention at the White House briefing today – I asked White House spokesman Robert Gibbs if senators were incorrect calling the date a "target."

After the briefing, Gibbs went to the president for clarification. Gibbs then called me to his office to relate what the president said. The president told him it IS locked in – there is no flexibility. Troops WILL start coming home in July 2011. Period. It's etched in stone. Gibbs said he even had the chisel.

Lindsey Graham will not be happy. Neither will John McCain – and a whole lot of other Republicans who believe any kind of time line means "advantage: enemy."

Keep in mind that the PACE of the withdrawal will still depend on conditions on the ground – which means it could be a very small number of troops if things are not going well.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/12...y5868282.shtml