War in Afghanistan: Overthrow of the Taliban and Aftermath

For more than 30 years, Afghanistan has been plagued by war and violence. In October 2001, the United States sent troops to Afghanistan in order to remove the Taliban, a group of Muslim fundamentalists that had gained control of the country and were sheltering and assisting terrorist groups like Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda organization. It did not take long for the U.S. military to force the Taliban from power, but creating a peaceful and stable Afghanistan has proven to be a much greater challenge. This book in the MAJOR U.S. HISTORICAL WARS series examines the events that led up to the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan by the United States and its allies, and their subsequent efforts to rebuild this war-torn state. It discusses the political and military strategies that U.S. and Taliban forces employed, and provides information about key people, battles, and events. Although most U.S. troops have been withdrawn from Afghanistan, the Taliban continues to fight for control over the state. Each title in this series contains color photos, maps, chronology and back matter including: an index, further reading lists for books and internet resources, and a series glossary. Mason Crest's editorial team has placed Key Icons to Look for throughout the books in this series in an effort to encourage library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content rich non-fiction books. Key Icons are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are then used in the prose throughout that chapter, and are emboldened, so that the reader is able to reference back to the definitions- building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Text Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader's comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. A Series Glossary of Key Terms is included in the back matter contains terminology used throughout the series. Words found here broaden the reader's knowledge and understanding of terms used in this field.