The war on terror is the campaign launched by the United States of America in response to the September 11 attacks against organizations designated with terrorism. The campaign, whose stated objective was eliminating international terrorism, began in 2001.
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2001 Dates EventsSeptember 11The September 11 attacks in New York City, Washington D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, United States, killed 2,996 people.September 12The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1368: condemning the September 11 attacks, calling on all countries to co-operate in bringing the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of the attacks to justice and that those responsible for supporting or harboring the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors would be held accountable.September 14Operation Noble Eagle begins, the United States and Canadian military launch operations related to homeland security in response to the September 11 attacks..September 14The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists was passed as S.J.Res. 23 by the United States Congress, authorizing the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the attacks on September 11, 2001, and any "associated forces". The authorization granted the President the authority to use all "necessary and appropriate force" against those whom he determined "planned, authorized, committed or aided" the September 11th attacks, or who harbored said persons or groups.September 18 and October 92001 anthrax attacks kill 5 and infect 17 others by anthrax spores in New York City, New York, Boca Raton, Florida, and Washington D.C. in the United States.September 20Bush speech to Congress: the phrase "war on terror" was first officially used.October 1Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists carried out the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly car bombing in the city of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, India, killing 38 and injuring 60.October 7The War in Afghanistan begins. with the Invasion of Afghanistan, under the codename Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan (OEF-A).October 9Operation Eagle Assist begins, 13 NATO nations execute operational sorties over the skies of the United States in NATO AWACS aircraft.October 16Operation Active Endeavour officially begins.October 23United States Department of Justice produced the 37-page classified memorandum entitled "Authority for Use of Military Force to Combat Terrorist Activities Within the United States"October 26Congress pass the Patriot Act: which allows the search and electronic surveillance powers of federal agencies while investigating persons suspected of terrorism.November 9–10The Fall of Mazar-i-Sharif takes place: U.S. and Northern Alliance forces capture the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, in Balkh Province in Afghanistan, from Taliban, al-Qaeda, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM), and other foreign fighters, the Northern Alliance suffered 38 killed whilst the terrorists suffered over 300 killed, 500 captured and 1,000 defected.November 11–23The Siege of Kunduz takes place: U.S. and Northern Alliance forces besieged the city of Kunduz in Afghanistan, that Taliban, al-Qaeda and IMU fighters occupied, coalition forces eventually took the city, killing or wounding 2,000 enemy combatants and capturing 3,500 more, however 5,000 terrorists were airlifted by the Pakistan Air Force to North Pakistan.Mid to Late NovemberOperation Trent takes place: Members of the 22nd SAS Regiment, supported by US forces, assaulted an al-Qaeda opium facility in the Registan Desert, Helmand/Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. They successfully cleared the facility, killing 18–73 al-Qaeda terrorists and Taliban fighters and capturing dozens more, whilst the SAS suffered 4 wounded.November 25 – December 1The Battle of Qala-i-Jangi takes place: Taliban, al-Qaeda and IMU prisoners begin an uprising at Qala-i-Jangi fortress in Afghanistan against its Northern Alliance guards and CIA interrogators, US, British and Northern Alliance forces eventually quell the uprising, out of a total of 300–500 enemy combatants, 86 were recapturied the rest were killed in the battle. 1 American was killed.December 6–17The Battle of Tora Bora takes place: Coalition forces almost captured/killed Osama Bin Laden in Pachir Aw Agam District, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, but he evaded them and later escaped into Pakistan, however, 200 al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters were killed.December 10In Iraqi Kurdistan, the two splinter groups that broke off from Islamic Movement of Kurdistan (IMK) that formed Jund al-Islam became Ansar al-Islam (AAI).Chalk, Peter, Encyclopedia of Terrorism Volume 1, 2012, ABC-CLIODecember 18Operation Enduring Freedom – Kyrgyzstan begins.Daniel P. Bolger, Why we lost: A general's inside account of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, 2014, xiii
2002 Dates EventsUnknownA team of British SAS and Delta Force was sent into Indian-administered Kashmir to hunt for Osama bin Laden after receiving reports that he was being sheltered by the Kashmiri militant group HuM.JanuaryGuantanamo Bay detention camp was opened.January 15Operation Enduring Freedom – Philippines begins as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in the Southern Philippines.January 16The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1390: imposing further sanctions on Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and others associated with them.January 288 al-Qaeda terrorists barricaded themselves inside Mirwais Hospital in Kandahar, Afghanistan, following a firefight with the terrorists Afghan soldiers, advised by a US Army Special Forces ODA, with the alleged involvement of JTF2, killing 6 and capturing 2.Neville, Leigh, Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military), Osprey Publishing, 2015 , p.77February 27The Georgia Train and Equip Program begins.March 1–18Operation Anaconda (including the Battle of Takur Ghar) takes place: Coalition forces succeed in removing al-Qaeda, IMU and Taliban presence from the Shah-i-Kot Valley in Afghanistan, killing 500–800 enemy combatants, 15 coalition troops are killed and another 82 wounded. April 11Al-Qaeda carries out the Ghriba synagogue bombing in Tunisia, killing 19 and injuring over 30 people, signalling the beginning of the Insurgency in the Maghreb.April 15 – May 16Operation Mountain Lion takes place in coordination with Operation Ptarmigan (a subsidiary operation of Operation Jacana), US forces, Australian SAS and other Coalition special forces and conventional forces aimed to find and deny control of the Gardez and Khost regions in Afghanistan to al-Qaeda terrorists and Taliban fighters. The operation resulted in small but fierce firefights with fighters who had infiltrated across the Pakistan border, Maj.Gen Franklin L. Hagenbeck said that al-Qaeda still possessed much of its leadership and command-and-control structure.Clements, Frank A., Conflict in Afghanistan: An Encyclopedia (Roots of Modern Conflict), ABC-CLIO, 2003 Neville, Leigh, Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military), Osprey Publishing, 2015 April 16 – July 9Operation Jacana takes place: In the aftermath of Operation Anaconda, British, US, Australian and Norwegian forces conduct a series of operations aimed at finding and eliminating remaining al-Qaeda and Taliban in Khost province and Paktia Province in Afghanistan. 11 enemy combatants were killed and 9 more captured, a large number of weapons cashes were also captured and/or destroyed; the results of the operations also showed that al-Qaeda and the Taliban had abandoned a large scale presence in the region.May 14Members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) carried out an attack on a tourist bus in India, killing 31 and injuring 47.May 16Operation Eagle Assist ends.October 7Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa begins.October 8The Faylaka Island attack in Kuwait killed 1 U.S. Marine and injured another.October 12Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and other al-Qaeda terrorists carried the Bali bombings in Indonesia which killed 202 and injured 209 people.October 16The Iraq Resolution is enacted after being passed by the United States Congress, authorizing military action against Iraq.November 8The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1441: offering Saddam Hussein's regime "a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations" that had been set out in several previous resolutions.November 26The Central Intelligence Agency begins a series of ongoing Predator drone strikes on Al-Qaeda in Yemen and al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia.November 28Al-Qaeda carried out the Mombasa attacks in Kenya, killing 13 and injuring 80 people.
2003