Theories of Power

In response to the September 11 attacks, the US launched airstrikes against the ultraconservative Islamist faction, the Taliban, located in Afghanistan. The Taliban’s refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda’s leader and orchestrator of the initial attacks prompted President George W. Bush to authorize the use of force against them. This demonstrates a realist approach as military is involved in retaliation. This also marked the start of the now 19 year running “war on terrorism”. In December of 2009, the official Taliban regime collapses when Kandahar is surrendered and leader Mullah Omar flees. The war is nowhere near won however as Al-Qaeda leaders remain in hideout. The US follow another strategic method when they appropriate $38 billion in humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan from 2001 to 2009. Shortly after President Barack Obama’s election following Bush, the former recommited to Afghanistan, announcing plans to send seventeen thousand more troops to war. Later on, the US determined that the way to success in Afghanistan was to prevent the terrorist safe havens in Pakistan. With this new approach the US also used a liberalist theory by increasing aid to Pakistan to ensure the stability of Afghanistan’s neighboring country and attempt an alliance. However the majority of the actions taken against Afghanistan take a realist approach as the US continues to send more and more troops out to win the war. In 2011, Osama Bin Laden was killed by US police forces in Pakistan and consequently Obama announced plans Troop Drawdown. Peace negotiations are still not in sight as Trump interprets the recent Taliban attacks as an affront to a potential deal. His solution is to hit Afghanistan “harder than they have ever been hit before”.The war has caused sovereignty issues in Afghanistan as there have been conflicts upon the just leader of the country.

https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-war-afghanistan

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