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Afghanistan

Operation Enduring Freedom: A look back in photos

With the curtain coming down on combat operations, Stars and Stripes is looking back at the U.S. troops who have fought in the war, what they encountered, and how they coped. We present three photo galleries featuring the work of our photographers and reporters who have covered the war in Afghanistan.




Topics

US forces pack up
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a ceremony to introduce the new chief of the intelligence service, in Kabul, Afghanistan.<br>Rahmat Gul/AP

Analysis

Trump's US-Taliban move pushes Afghans toward fragile vote

President Donald Trump's sudden halt to U.S.-Taliban talks looks like a gift to the beleaguered Afghan president, who has insisted on holding a key election in less than three weeks' time despite widespread expectations that a peace deal would push it aside.




Reports from SIGAR
Afghan security forces man a checkpoint on the outskirts of Kandahar city on April 10, 2019. A U.S. watchdog report in July said Afghan forces were significantly understaffed.<br>Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes

Afghanistan security forces’ strength at lowest level since 2015, US watchdog says

The U.S. Congress has appropriated nearly $82.67 billion to support security in Afghanistan, or nearly two-thirds of all U.S. reconstruction funding for the country since fiscal year 2002.

Congress created the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) to provide independent and objective oversight of Afghanistan reconstruction projects and activities.




Election coverage
Supporters of Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah scramble to grab campaign posters and signs before a rally in Panjshir province. The candidate found a frenzied welcome in the fabled Panjshir Valley, where he has a strong base of support.<br> Josh Smith/Stars and Stripes

VIDEO

Politics in Panjshir: Life on the Afghan campaign trail

As Afghanistan's presidential election entered its final week, fears of violence and corruption concerns didn't stop Afghans from reveling in what would be the country's first peaceful, democratic transfer of power.




Recent videos





More recent reports

Afghan Presidential spokesman Sediq Seddqi gives a press conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. <br>Ebrahim Noroozi/AP
Afghan Presidential spokesman Sediq Seddqi gives a press conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. <br>Ebrahim Noroozi/AP

Afghan officials: Thousands of troops ready for polling day

Nasrat Rahimi, spokesman for the Interior Ministry said on Sunday that 72,000 security personnel will be on duty around the 4,942 polling centers across Afghanistan.

Afghan presidential spokesman Sediq Seddqi speaks at a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. <br>Ebrahim Noroozi/AP
Afghan presidential spokesman Sediq Seddqi speaks at a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. <br>Ebrahim Noroozi/AP

Afghan government says elections first, peace deal after

The Afghan government will only consider making a “legitimate” peace with insurgents after national elections are held this month, an official told reporters on Saturday, despite the atmosphere of political uncertainty following the sudden halt in U.S.-Taliban peace talks.

Hamza bin Laden, the son of of the late al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, is seen as an adult at his wedding. The White House says Hamza bin Laden has been killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. <br>AP
Hamza bin Laden, the son of of the late al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, is seen as an adult at his wedding. The White House says Hamza bin Laden has been killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. <br>AP

White House says son of Osama bin Laden killed in US operation

The White House announced Saturday that Hamza bin Laden, a son of the late al-Qaida leader who had become an increasingly prominent figure in the terrorist organization, was killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

A U.S. soldier rides a horse in Afghanistan. <br>American Freedom Distillery
A U.S. soldier rides a horse in Afghanistan. <br>American Freedom Distillery

'Horse Soldier' shares war stories in Las Vegas

The two were part of the first group of U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers sent to Afghanistan less than a month after 9/11, where they secretly entered the country on horseback to go to war against the Taliban.

Gen. Tod D. Wolters attends a ceremony at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, on May 2, 2019.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES
Gen. Tod D. Wolters attends a ceremony at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart, Germany, on May 2, 2019.<br>MICHAEL ABRAMS/STARS AND STRIPES

US general for NATO: Afghan violence will rise before vote

The top U.S. general for NATO said Friday that he expects increased violence in Afghanistan in the lead-up to the election later this month, adding that allies will make necessary adjustments to military operations there to protect the vote.

A malnourished Jordanian bomb-sniffing dog named Mencey is seen in an April 2018 photo taken when a team of veterinary workers traveled from the U.S. to prevent an outbreak of insect-borne illness among U.S.-trained working dogs the State Department provided to Jordan. The 3-year-old Belgian Malinois had Leishmaniasis from sand flies and was euthanized when his kidneys failed.<br>U.S. State Department Office of the Inspector General
A malnourished Jordanian bomb-sniffing dog named Mencey is seen in an April 2018 photo taken when a team of veterinary workers traveled from the U.S. to prevent an outbreak of insect-borne illness among U.S.-trained working dogs the State Department provided to Jordan. The 3-year-old Belgian Malinois had Leishmaniasis from sand flies and was euthanized when his kidneys failed.<br>U.S. State Department Office of the Inspector General

IG report: US sent bomb-sniffing dogs to Jordan, then they died from poor care

The U.S. government continued to provide dozens of bomb-sniffing dogs to the Kingdom of Jordan, even as the animals were dying of serious health problems and others were so poorly treated that they had “lost the will to work,” a government evaluation found.

Then-Staff Sgt. Daniel P. Keller, a combat controller in the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, attends a ceremony on Nov. 17, 2018, as he was awarded the Bronze Star. Keller, who has been promoted to technical sergeant, will be awarded the Air Force Cross for his actions on a battlefield in Afghanistan. The honor is to be presented by Gen. David L. Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff, during a ceremony in Louisville, Ky., Friday Sept. 13, 2019. <br>Joshua Horton/U.S. Air Force
Then-Staff Sgt. Daniel P. Keller, a combat controller in the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Special Tactics Squadron, attends a ceremony on Nov. 17, 2018, as he was awarded the Bronze Star. Keller, who has been promoted to technical sergeant, will be awarded the Air Force Cross for his actions on a battlefield in Afghanistan. The honor is to be presented by Gen. David L. Goldfein, Air Force chief of staff, during a ceremony in Louisville, Ky., Friday Sept. 13, 2019. <br>Joshua Horton/U.S. Air Force

Combat controller will receive Air Force Cross for actions in Afghanistan ISIS fight

Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel P. Keller had already been fighting for 15 hours when a house rigged with improvised explosives just feet away from the combat controller blew up, forcing him to the ground, injured and dazed. But he kept fighting.

Two coalition airstrikes eliminated ISIS fighters and facilities in the Nangarhar and Jowzjan provinces of Afghanistan, Feb. 6, 2018. The U.S. is expected to intensify operations in Afghanistan following the collapse of peace talks with the Taliban.<br>Jacob Krone/U.S. Army
Two coalition airstrikes eliminated ISIS fighters and facilities in the Nangarhar and Jowzjan provinces of Afghanistan, Feb. 6, 2018. The U.S. is expected to intensify operations in Afghanistan following the collapse of peace talks with the Taliban.<br>Jacob Krone/U.S. Army

Coalition airstrikes soared even as US, Taliban talked peace

As U.S. and Taliban officials talked peace, the U.S. military was accelerating airstrikes in Afghanistan, with the biggest monthly tally of the year carried out in August as the negotiations were in their final stage, a new report shows.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban group's top political leader, second left, arrives with other members of the Taliban delegation for talks in Moscow, Russia, on May 28, 2019.<br>Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban group's top political leader, second left, arrives with other members of the Taliban delegation for talks in Moscow, Russia, on May 28, 2019.<br>Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

Taliban want US deal, but some in bigger hurry than others

Taliban negotiators were at odds with their Council of Leaders about whether to travel to Camp David even before President Donald Trump canceled the meeting planned for last weekend According to Taliban officials familiar with the discussions, some opposed the Camp David trip and chastised the negotiators who were eager to attend.

Samiullah inspects the remains of his damaged house Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, after a large explosion last week near a compound housing several foreign organizations and guesthouses, in Kabul, Afghanistan.<br>Rahmat Gul/AP
Samiullah inspects the remains of his damaged house Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, after a large explosion last week near a compound housing several foreign organizations and guesthouses, in Kabul, Afghanistan.<br>Rahmat Gul/AP

Official: Taliban suicide car bomber kills four Afghan troops

An Afghan official says a Taliban suicide car bomber has targeted an Afghan special forces base on the outskirts of Kabul, killing at least four troops.

Ayman al-Zawahri as seen in a 1998 briefing in Khost, Afghanistan. On Wednesday, Sept, 11, 2019, Al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri called on all Muslims to attack U.S., European, Israeli and Russian targets in a speech on the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.<br>Mazhar Ali Khan/AP
Ayman al-Zawahri as seen in a 1998 briefing in Khost, Afghanistan. On Wednesday, Sept, 11, 2019, Al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri called on all Muslims to attack U.S., European, Israeli and Russian targets in a speech on the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.<br>Mazhar Ali Khan/AP

Al-Qaida chief in 9/11 speech calls for attacks on West

Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri called Wednesday on Muslims to attack U.S., European, Israeli and Russian targets in a speech on the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Hayat Khan speaks of his diminishing hope for peace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sept. 10, 2019, after he was wounded in a Taliban car bomb outside a compound housing several foreign organizations and guesthouses, <br>Rahmat Gul/AP
Hayat Khan speaks of his diminishing hope for peace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sept. 10, 2019, after he was wounded in a Taliban car bomb outside a compound housing several foreign organizations and guesthouses, <br>Rahmat Gul/AP

Afghans fear Trump's Taliban move means more civilians die

As America on Wednesday mourns thousands of civilians killed in the 9/11 attacks, weary Afghans watch their own toll from the aftermath continue to rise.

Staff Sgt. Ryan Clay, left, the platoon sergeant for 3rd Platoon of India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, and Cpl. Anthony DePrimo, a squad leader with 3rd Platoon, study a map while on a patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in 2010. <br>Tommy Bellegarde/U.S. Marine Corps
Staff Sgt. Ryan Clay, left, the platoon sergeant for 3rd Platoon of India Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, and Cpl. Anthony DePrimo, a squad leader with 3rd Platoon, study a map while on a patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in 2010. <br>Tommy Bellegarde/U.S. Marine Corps

Americans who fought in Afghanistan wait to see how their war ends

Some 775,477 U.S. veterans and servicemembers have deployed to Afghanistan since the U.S. war there began after the 9/11 terrorist attacks 18 years ago this week. The span of the conflict has prompted some veterans to question what has been accomplished.

A plume of smoke rises near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019. A blast was heard shortly after midnight on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.<br>Cara Anna/AP
A plume of smoke rises near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019. A blast was heard shortly after midnight on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.<br>Cara Anna/AP

Rocket blast at US Embassy in Kabul on 9/11 anniversary

A rocket exploded at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan just minutes into Wednesday, the anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the United States, but officials at the compound later declared an all-clear and reported no injuries.

Farmers ride donkeys along a paved road in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province on July 14, 2019, bringing goods into Baharak, a district center under Taliban threat.<br>J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes
Farmers ride donkeys along a paved road in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province on July 14, 2019, bringing goods into Baharak, a district center under Taliban threat.<br>J.P. Lawrence/Stars and Stripes

New generation of Taliban fuels battles in northern Afghanistan

After years of resisting Taliban control, Afghanistan’s northeastern province of Badakhshan has become yet another battleground in the fight for control of the country, thanks in large part to a long-term shift in the Taliban’s recruitment strategy, observers say.


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