[[Image:OEFmilphoto.jpg|260px|thumb| [[U.S. Army]] paratroopers in Dangam, [[Afghanistan]].]]'''Operation Enduring Freedom''' is the [[United States]] ' initial military response to the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|9/11 attacks]].
Most Americans are familiar with Following the military operation in attacks of September 11, 2001, the US government demanded that the extremist Muslim [[Taliban]] government of Afghanistanhand over [[Osama bin Laden]]. In a matter , leader of months, the U[[al Qaida]] terrorist group responsible.S. ArmyThe Taliban government, Air Forcehowever, Marinesrefused to allow bin Laden to be tried by US authorities, and Navy, in a masterful display leading to invasion of joint operations and in concert with our Afghan allies, overthrew the Taliban regime and drove the terrorist al Qaeda into worldwide flightlandlocked Asian country. Our actions in Afghanistan dramatically demonstrated the reach of American power and the strength of American will. The campaign was a stirring beginning to the newly announced Global War on Terrorism. [http://www.army.mil/cmh/brochures/Afghanistan/Operation%20Enduring%20Freedom.htm#intro]
The militaries of the United States and its NATO allies, in concert with a coalition of northern Afghan tribes known as the Northern Alliance, quickly overthrew the Taliban government controlling the country from its historic capital of Kandahar. While the Taliban government was quick to fold, large amounts of fighters remained with the local population and subsequently engaged in a prolonged guerilla campaign against Coalition Forces. However, high-profile operations in the country's eastern White Mountains (Battle of Tora Bora) and Shahikhot Valley (Operation Anaconda) to capture or kill bin Laden and other high-value al Qaida targets were a failure.
*The military response to the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States was assigned Originally, the name of Operation Enduring Freedom, but was previously planned to have been called be Operation Infinite Justice (this name is believed to have been changed following concerns . Concerns however that this might the name would offend [[Muslims]] led to the Muslim community as Islam teaches that Allah is the only one who can provide Infinite Justice)operation being renamed Operation Enduring Freedom. <ref>[http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/enduring-freedom.htmGlobal Security.org, "Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan"]</ref>
Seven years after the overthrow of the [[Taliban]], [[America]] and [[NATO]] forces wre still fighting Taliban forces in parts of the country, especially in the south.<ref>[http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=October&x=20061025171329MVyelwarC0.6853144 U.S. Department of State, Vince Crawley, October 25, 2006, "NATO's Jones Urges Focus on Afghan Reconstruction, Rule of Law"] <sub>''"On July 31, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) took control of Afghanistan’s volatile southern provinces, part of a larger plan for NATO to provide security for the entire country. The handover was accompanied by an upsurge of violence against international forces."''</sub></ref> There is no sign that Western troops will be withdrawing from Afghanistan in the foreseeable future. Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, commander of the United States coalition forces stated his commitment to accomplishing the mission, saying, {{Cquote|The United States will not leave Afghanistan until the Afghan people tell us the job is done. The war on terrorism began here in Afghanistan and it continues today. We must never forget that.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/world/asia/01afghan.html New York Times, CARLOTTA GALL, August 1, 2006, "U.S. Hands Southern Afghan Command to NATO"]</ref>}} ==References==<references/>[[Category:United Statesof America]][[Category:NATO]][[Category:Military]]