Check 130
There had been a debate in administration about what US should do
Obama returned troop sot Afghanistan
Enduring Freedom surge was successful
Additional forces did push the Taliban back.
The province was largely secure however driving the Taliban out did not achieve overall goals Obama had
Daniel David "punching water" It was a term used to describe the challenge
of achieving lasting peace and stability in the region. despite initial military.
Taliban had been displaced but just like water will come back
the Taliban's resilience illustrated the difficulties in fostering a culture of
governance and development that could withstand their influence.
• This ongoing challenge underscores the importance of international support
and local engagement to establish enduring democratic frameworks
More than 2 million ppl in Afghanistan
the surge in America looked like a failure, pointless despite success militarily
Biden opposed surge but Obama went with Hillary Clinton and others who advised doing so
Petraeus wanted Obama to keep surge beyond timeline
therefore should continue surge
The disagreement over the surge led to significant tension within the administration, highlighting the broader complexities of U.S. foreign policy in the region.
Argument will always be there “US compromised with Taliban too soon, should’ve stayed longer, committed, weakened them”.
despite after 10 years fighting America did not in fact form nation building with split up pieces of Taliban
Despite Obama’s time limit, there’s always an expiration date and the Taliban would wait it out always (they also didn’t believe Obama dying and fighting just as hard).
Obama, Trump, Biden all thought this wasn’t smart path for US so they compromise diplomacy (altho bumpy and takes many tries)
2010
June 23 — General Stanley McCrystal is replaced by General David Petraeus
who officially takes command of U.S. and ISAF forces in July 2010.
November 19-20 — At a summit in Lisbon, Portugal, NATO leaders agree to
transfer security responsibility to forces by the end of 2014.
November - Obama administration begins talking with the Taliban, which refuses
to deal with the "puppet" government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
December 16 - Obama announces US combat role in AF will conclude by end of 2014.
2011
March — Sec. State Clinton announces US ready for peace negotiations with the
Taliban.
May 1 — US Special Forces kill Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabad, Pakistan
cornpou•td.
June 22 - President Obama orders 10,000 troops will leave Afghanistan by the
end of the year, followed by further reductions of 23,000 by summer 2012. "It is
time to focus on nation-building at home."
December 5 — An anniversary summit in Bonn fiales when neither the Taliban nor
the government of Pakistan (aggrieved over US forces killing 28 Pakistani soldiers
in the Salala Incident near the border with Afghanistan) attend.
Petraeus wanted to see more fighting and so did some Taliban ppl (keep fighting we could geta better deal)
Obamas campaign coming up, did not want to be criticized over Afghanistan, so lets focus on “nation building at home“
Salala incident happens, reluctantly US apologizes later (relations in freezer, killed 28 Pakistanis)
conference dud neither show up
2012
May — NATO summit outlines plan to withdraw foreign combat troops by end
of 2014. During a visit to Kabul, Oban-ta addresses US troops in Afghanistan,
says goal to "defeat al-Qaeda and deny it a chance to rebuild is now within
our reach."
November — Obama reelected for second four-year term as POTI-JS.
— Obama and his team settle on "Afghan good enough."
[Taliban] show us we can trust you [US], release some ppl from Guantanamo bay (happened but years later in like 2014)
baby steps, baby steps
Younger Taliban more inclined to fight, senior figures (like Mullah Omar) willing to talk to US but not willing to stop fighting until US troops withdrawn
Unwilling to talk to gov of Karzai (consider puppet of US). Would not talk to Afghan gov till US out.
Obama accepted “Afghan good enough“, get troops out, get rid of Taliban, dont let terrorist run over the government
First year of obama 2nd term could’ve been platform for deal with Taliban (since no re-election) yet while US stable Taliban and Afghan unstable.
Karzai did not get along with Obama, US, Pakistan, Taliban (didn’t respect as a gov)
2013
April — Mullah Mohammad Omar, leader of the Taliban its creation in 1994,
dies of tl.berculosis.
June - Afghm security forces assume responsibility for all military and
security operations from NATO forces on the same day. That same month,
representatives of the United States government and the Taliban resume
negotiations. President Hamid Karzai objects. Talks soon break down.
Biden said to Biden care 50 time more about Pakistan than Afghanistan
Obama said wrong partner about Karzai, needed right partner to make things
taliban kept fighting NATO kept withdrawing
2014
February — Campaigning for the presidential election that will choose Hamid
successor begins. Former finance minister Ashraf Ghani as the US
government's preferred choice.
- After two rounds of voting, widespread allegations of fraud, a
recount, and US mediation, Ghani emerges as the winner and president-elect
in a power-sharing arrarwnent with the runner-up (Abdullah Abdullah, who
occupiesa new position: "Chief Executive").
December — NATO concludes its 13-year combat mission in Afghanistan.
Despite official end to ISAF's combat role, violence continues across much
of the country.
Ashraf Ghani eventually won, opponent was Abdullah Abdullah.
Abdullah & many of his supporters refused to acknowledge, viewed as corrupted
US got involved
Abdullah Abdullah chief executive while Ashraf Ghani was still president
In 2014. NATO's International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF) began handing over security in Afghanistan to
the newly formed Afghan National Army (ANA).
yet army lost, not familiar with language or land (helmand), and frankly unsure what are suppose to be doing (and has lost battles against Taliban).
2015
January - NATO-led follow-on mission Resolute Support begins.
Approximately 12,000 personnel provide training and support to Afghan
security forces.
— Bowing to a request from President Ghani, President Obama delays
American troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
August — Obama Ns national-security council the United States is "no
longer in nation-building mode" in Afghanistan. White House concerned about
Islamic State.
obama does not deliver, ghani asks to keep troops in US. Afghan national army not able to hold ground or push against Taliban. Obama agrees.
New Taliban leader for short time, controversial, not as popular as mullah omar
Sitautaion Room (windlowless room in white house) where decide what to do
ISIS withdrawing from afghanistan
Obama torn, were no longer in nationbuilding mode. No one in situation room taht day thought that US would tranform Afghan into a democracy able to defend itself.
however obama did not want to walk away and leave seedbed for terrorists
Biden thought afghanistan engulfed in chaos no matter when US leaves (broken record).
ISIS may come in but will never get power back in ciivil war, can delay but not stop, so will pull plug and cut losses as soon as posible
2016Jmuary - As Obama's presidency enters its final year, the Taliban show signs
of reclaiming territory they gave up during the surge.
May 21 - A US drone strike in Baluchistm, Pakistan (not in the FATA) kills
Taliban leader (the immediate successor to Mohammad Omar) Mullah Akhtar
November — Donald J. Trump elected 45th POTI-JS.
— Obama tells New York Times interviewer that Afghanistan was
already one of the most tribally divided and "poorest countries in the world
before we got there. It continues to be."
hostility resumes between Taliban and US
drone strike kills leader Taliban
new leader actually liked and tougher negotiator.
Trump campaigns end war overseas
Clinton for intervention
Hillary Clinton won popular vote, yet Trump won electoral vote
foreign policy may have helped Trump win in some states
Country [Afghanistan] had been broken to begin with and we were never going to fix it - Obama
dysfunctional country, portrayed as doing a lil meddling just stick nose already broken
yet became unstable after intervention