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AFGHAN ELECTIONS – Afghan women proudly display their ink-stained fingers after casting ballots in historic parliamentary elections in Lash Kar Gah, Helmand Province, Sept. 18, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Caldwell Hi-Res Photo | More Photos |
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| Operation Enduring Freedom Marks Four Years |
WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2005 – Four years ago today, America launched its counterattack against terrorism, hammering terrorist targets in Afghanistan and ushering in Operation Enduring Freedom and the global war on terror.
That volley, launched Oct. 7, 2001, targeted far more than al Qaeda training camps and facilities and the repressive Taliban regime in Afghanistan, President Bush noted in announcing the attacks during a White House address. It sent an unmistakable message to terrorist organizations worldwide that the United States and its coalition partners refuse to live under a cloud of fear and intimidation, he said. |
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Bush emphasized that the action represented just one front in an ongoing U.S. effort against terror networks. "Today, we focus on Afghanistan, but the battle is broader," the president said.
Bush also presented his challenge to the world to stand up against terrorism. "Every nation has a choice to make," he said. "In this conflict, there is no neutral ground. If any government sponsors the outlaws and killers of innocents, they have become outlaws and murderers themselves. And they will take that lonely path at their own peril."
Operation Enduring Freedom began after the Taliban rejected U.S. demands made following terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Bush had called on Afghanistan's leaders to close terrorist training camps and hand over al Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin Laden. The president also demanded the return of all unjustly detained foreign nationals and the opening of terrorist training sites to U.S. inspection. More |
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HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS – U.S. Army Sgt.Thomas Phillips gives an Afghan boy a pen in the town of Zaker-e Sharif, Afghanistan, Aug. 18, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Andre' Reynolds More Photos |
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On the Ground |
Over the past four years, www.defendamerica.mil has featured news stories and photo essays focusing on deployed U.S. troops in Afghanistan conducting military missions as well as participating in humanitarian operations to benefit Afghan citizens. Please visit our
'On the Ground in Afghanistan' archive to view these stories and photos. |
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