Decades on from the US’s disastrous campaign in Afghanistan, Trump is making all the same mistakes | Simon Tisdall
Summary
The US-led invasion of Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks failed to create lasting peace and ended with the Taliban regaining control in 2021. The article warns that similar mistakes are being made again with the US recently escalating conflict in Iran, continuing a pattern of long, costly wars with unclear goals and no clear end.Key Facts
- The US and NATO invaded Afghanistan in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
- Over 2,400 US troops and 450 British troops died in the Afghanistan war.
- The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 after the US withdrawal.
- Afghanistan’s war is seen as a “forever war” that lasted 20 years with no clear victory.
- The US spent about $1 trillion on the Afghanistan war and deployed over 775,000 troops.
- No terrorist attacks on the US have come from Afghanistan in the five years since the US left.
- The Iraq invasion in 2003, justified by false claims about weapons, also became a long, costly conflict.
- Since 2001, nearly 940,000 people have died directly in post-9/11 conflicts across multiple countries.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
