Story Highlights
- Historical event:
- 7 October 2001
- It is interesting that the first American units to enter Afghanistan were part of the CIA's Special Activities Division. This division is one of the most active American covert operations services, and has participated in most American secret operations in the second half of the 20th century (Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Iran, etc.).
The American-British invasion of Afghanistan commenced on this day in 2001.
Its codename was Operation Enduring Freedom, and it was part of the global “War on Terror”. U.S. president George W. Bush even called it a “crusade” sometimes.
It is interesting that the first American units to enter Afghanistan were part of the CIA’s Special Activities Division. This division is one of the most active American covert operations services, and has participated in most American secret operations in the second half of the 20th century (Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Iran, etc.). CIA operatives even trained Mujahedin fighters to fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan during the Cold War.
Powerful military strikes were conducted on this day, particularly targeting Taliban strongholds in Kabul, Kandahar, and Jalalabad. The headquarters of Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. The commander-in-chief of the U.S. forces was General Tommy Franks, in the role of Combatant Commander of U.S. Central Command.
Around 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched at Afghanistan, and airstrikes were made from the decks of two aircraft carriers stationed in the Indian Ocean – USS Enterprise and USS Carl Vinson.
It is interesting to note that the forces invading Afghanistan included American B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, and B-52 Stratofortress bombers, which took off from British bases on the tiny Diego Garcia atoll, located in the middle of the Indian Ocean (and one of the last British colonies in that Ocean).
