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Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) is the official name used by the U.S. government for its military response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. It was previously planned to have been called "Operation Infinite Justice" but it is believed to have been changed because of concerns that this might offend the Muslim community as some believe that Islam teaches that God is the only one who can provide Infinite Justice.* On October 5, 2006 NATO officially took over control of US forces in Afghanistan. • The Operation comprises several subordinate operations:
Overview On October 7, 2001, early combat operations including a mix of strikes from land-based B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress bombers; carrier-based F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet fighters; and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from both U.S. and British ships and submarines signaled the start of Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan (OEF-A). The initial military objectives of OEF-A, as articulated by President George W. Bush in his Sept. 20th Address to a Joint Session of Congress and his Oct. 7th address to the country, included the destruction of terrorist training camps and infrastructure within Afghanistan, the capture of al-Qaeda leaders, and the cessation of terrorist activities in Afghanistan."* In January 2002, over 1,200 soldiers from the United States Special Operation Command Pacific (SOCPAC) deployed to Philippines to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines in their push to uproot terrorists forces on the island of Basilan. Of those groups included are Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah. * The operation consisted of training the AFP in counter-terrorist operations as well as supporting the local people with humanitarian aid in Operation Smiles. PDF In October 2002, the Combined Joint Task Force 150 and United States military Special Forces established themselves in Djibouti at Camp Le Monier. The stated goals of the operation were to provide humanitarian aid and patrol the Horn of Africa to reduce the abilities of terrorist organizations in the region. Similar to OEF-P, the goal of humanitarian aid was highlighted in order to prevent terrorist organizations from being able to take hold amongst the population as well as reemerge after being removed. The military aspect involves coalition forces searching and boarding ships entering the region for illegal cargo as well as providing training and equipment to the armed forces in the region. The humanitarian aspect involves building schools, clinics and water wells to enforce the confidence of the local people. The operation continues, with military direction mostly coming from United States Central Command. The Taliban Seizing upon a power vacuum after the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan after their invasion, the Taliban ruled with an iron fist from 1996-2001. Their extreme interpretation of Islamic law prompted them to ban music, television, sports, and dancing, oppress women and children, and enforce harsh judicial penalties. Amputation was an accepted form of punishment for stealing**, and public executions could often be seen at the Kabul football stadium.** Women's rights groups around the world cried often and loudly as the Taliban banned women from appearing in public or holding many jobs outside the home. They drew further criticism when they destroyed the Buddhas of Bamiyan, historical statues nearly 2,000 years old, because the buddhas were considered idols. In 1996, Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden moved to Afghanistan upon the invitation of the Northern Alliance leader Abdur Rabb ur Rasool Sayyaf. When the Taliban came to power, bin Laden was able to forge an alliance between the Taliban and his Al-Qaeda organization. It is understood that al-Qaeda-trained fighters known as the 055 Brigade were integrated with the Taliban army between 1997 and 2001. It has been suggested that the Taliban and bin Laden had very close connections . U.S. action
Result The U.S.-led Coalition is credited with removing the Taliban from power and seriously crippling the al-Qaida and associated militants in both Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. On October 9, 2004, Afghanistan elected Hamid Karzai President in its first direct elections. The following year, Afghans conducted the Afghan parliamentary election, 2005 on September 18, 2005. Since the invasion, hundreds of schools and mosques have been constructed, millions of dollars in aid has been distributed, and the occurrence of violence has been greatly reduced. While military forces interdict insurgents and assure security, Provincial reconstruction teams are tasked with infrastructure building, like constructing roads and bridges, assisting during floods, and providing food and water to refugees. Many warlords have participated in an allegiance program, recognizing the legitimacy of the Government of Afghanistan, and surrendering their soldiers and weapons, though some of their subsequent actions have led to serious questions about their true loyalties. The newly activated Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, and Afghan Border Police are being trained to assume the task of securing their nation. However, the Taliban still wields strong influence in many regions, and Karzai's government is believed to hold little real power outside the capital city of Kabul. Criticism As with all wars, there is another perspective that is not as optimistic. AFP, reporting on a news story in the Sunday, April 3, 2004, issue of ''The New Yorker'', wrote that retired Army Colonel Hy Rothstein, "who served in the Army Special Forces for more than 20 years, ... commissioned by The Pentagon to examine the war in Afghanistan concluded the conflict created conditions that have given 'warlordism, banditry and opium production a new lease on life' ...." The conduct of U.S. forces was criticised in a report entitled Enduring Freedom - Abuses by US Forces in Afghanistan by U.S.-based human rights group, Human Rights Watch in 2004. Abu Sayyaf Group The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) Al Harakat Al Islamiyya, is deemed a "foreign terrorist organization" by the United States government. Specifically, it is an Islamist separatist group based in and around the southern islands of the Republic of the Philippines, primarily Jolo, Basilan, and Mindanao. Since inception in the early 1990s, the group has carried out bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and extortion in their fight for an independent Islamic state in western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, with a claimed overarching goal of creating a Pan-Islamic superstate across the Malay portions of Southeast Asia, spanning, from east to west, the large island of Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago (Basilan and Jolo islands), the large island of Borneo (Malaysia and Indonesia), the South China Sea, and the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar). Jemaah Islamiyah Jemaah Islamiyah is a militant Islamic terrorist organization dedicated to the establishment of a fundamentalist Islamic theocracy in Southeast Asia, in particular Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, the south of Thailand and the Philippines. Financial links between Jemaah Islamiyah and other terrorist groups, such as Abu Sayyaf and al-Qaeda, have been found to exist. * Jemaah Islamiyah means "Islamic Group" or "Islamic Community" and is often abbreviated JI. Jemaah Islamiyah is thought to have killed hundreds of civilians and is suspected of having executed the Bali car bombing on October 12, 2002 in which suicide bombers killed 202 people, mostly Australian tourists, and wounded many in a nightclub. After this attack, the U.S. State Department designated Jemaah Islamiyah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Jemaah Islamiyah is also suspected of carrying out the Zamboanga bombings, the Metro Manila bombings, the 2004 Jakarta embassy bombing and the 2005 Bali terrorist bombing. U.S. action In January 2002, 1,200 members of United States Special Operations Command, Pacific (SOCPAC) were deployed to the Philippines to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in uprooting the terrorist forces of al-Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG). The members of SOCPAC were assigned to assist in military operations against the terrorist forces as well as humanitarian operations for the island of Basilan, where most of the conflict was expected to take place. The United States Special Forces (SP) unit trained and equipped special forces and scout rangers of the AFP, creating the Light Reaction Company (LRC). The LRC and elements of SOCPAC deployed to Basilan on completion of their training. The stated goals of the deployment were as follows: * Result The desired result was for the AFP to gain sufficient capability to locate and destroy the ASG, to recover hostages and to enhance the legitimacy of the Philippine government. Much of the operation was a success; the ASG was driven from Basilan, and one U.S. hostage was recovered. * The Abu Sayyaf Group's ranks, which once swelled above 800+ operatives, has been reduced to less than 100. The humanitarian portion of the operation, Operation Smiles, has created 14 schools, 7 clinics, 3 hospitals and provided medical care to over 18,000 residents of Basilan. Humanitarian groups were able to continue their work without fear of further kidnappings and terrorists attacks by the Abu Sayyaf Group. * * Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA) Unlike other operations contained in Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF-HOA does not have a specific terrorist organization as a target. OEF-HOA instead focuses its efforts to disrupt and detect terrorist activities in the region and to work with host nations to deny the reemergence of terrorist cells and activities. In October 2002, the Combined Joint Task Force, Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) was established in Djibouti at Camp Le Monier containing approximately 2,000 personnel including U.S. military and Special Operations Forces (SOF), and coalition force members, Coalition Task Force 150 (CTF-150). The coalition force consist of ships from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Pakistan, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom. The primary goal of the coalition forces is to monitor, inspect, board and stop suspected shipments from entering the Horn of Africa region and areas of Operation Iraqi Freedom.* CJTF-HOA has devoted the majority of its efforts to train selected armed forces units of the countries of Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency tactics. Humanitarian efforts conducted by CJTF-HOA include rebuilding of schools and medical clinics as well as providing medical services to those countries whose forces are being trained. The program expands as part of the Trans-Saharan Counter Terrorism Initiative as CJTF personnel also assist in training the forces of Chad, Niger, Mauritania and Mali. * 2001-2005 After the attacks on the United States the Canadian Government announced that any Canadian Forces members serving on exchange with American counterparts could be used in any American operations. Soon after it was announced that Canadian Forces would be deployed supporting the American invasion of Afghanistan. A controversial photograph was released showing members of Canada's elite JTF-2 escorting prisoners off of an American aircraft. Proving that Canadian Forces were engaged in combat. In Operation Anaconda, a team of Canadian snipers broke the record for kills set by an American Marine sniper during the Vietnam War. 2005-Present Since moving back to Kandahar in 2005 the Canadians became caught in the major Taliban offensive. Several fierce battles involving Taliban fighters occured in the spring of 2006 including the attack on a base in Northern Helmand Province which killed Pte. Robbert Costall and an American soldier who were part of the quick reaction force send to aid the ANA. During the Summer when it became apparent that the Taliban had grown in numbers unexpected by even the most experienced, Canada took one of the leading roles in Operation Mountain Thrust. This saw major combat in the southern provinces and the first Battle of Panjwaii was fought. The Canadian-led Operation Medusa was fought in September and saw the most fierce fighting that Canadians had seen since the Korean War. Operation Medusa was the most intense fighting that any coalition countries had seen thus far in the war. Canadian Forces surrounded up to one thousand Taliban fighters and cleared the area in weeks of fierce fighting that has been known as the second battle of Panjwaii. As part of the later phases of Operation Medusa, the Canadian Forces began constructing roads to help connect the Panjwaii district to help the local economy and also help the mobility of the coalition forces in the area. While constructing the road numerous attacks and ambushes have been carried out by the Taliban in an effort to stop construction of the road. With six Canadian soldiers killed on the same stretch of road in late September early October, the area has been seen as a type of "magnet" to Taliban attacks and focus. Military decorations Since 2002, the United States military has created military awards and decorations related to Operation Enduring Freedom: NATO also created a military decoration related to Operation Enduring Freedom: Further reading Sean M. Maloney, Enduring The Freedom: A Rogue Historian In Afghanistan.(Dulles: Potomac Books, Incorporated, 2005) See also | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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