In the wake of the devastating terrorist attacks on Sep. 11, 2001, the U.S. vowed to hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice.
That hunt immediately led to Afghanistan, the home of the Taliban government harboring the Al Qaeda terror group that carried out the attacks.
Less than a month after 9/11, U.S. Special Forces and CIA operatives were on the ground to link up with Northern Alliance fighters. Dubbed Operation Enduring Freedom, the Afghan campaign would initially be hailed as a rousing success, with the Taliban driven out of power just two months after American boots were on the ground.
But that success morphed into a hard slog for NATO troops, who endured heavy combat, roadside bombs, and an insurgency that enjoyed relative safety in Pakistani tribal lands. Now more than a decade after the war began, the U.S. cannot claim "victory," but the combat mission will come to an end later this year.
In response to the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. partnered with the Northern Alliance, a rebel group that had been fighting the Taliban for years.
The Afghan war began with a massive bombing campaign helped by CIA and Special Forces on the ground, who ultimately drove the Taliban from their last stronghold in Kandahar two months later.
Many militants were captured in the initial stages of the war, and they were later sent to the newly-opened Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba.
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