Wars

Question 1

Afghan-Soviet War

Answer 1

The Soviet war in Afghanistan lasted nine years from December 1979 to February 1989. Part of the Cold War, it was fought between Soviet-led Afghan forces against multi-national insurgent groups called the Mujahideen, mostly composed of two alliances – the Peshawar Seven and the Tehran Eight. The Peshawar Seven insurgents received military training in neighboring Pakistan and China, as well as weapons and billions of dollars from the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, and other countries. The Shia groups of the Tehran Eight alliance received support from the Islamic Republic of Iran. Early in the rule of the PDPA government, the Maoist Afghanistan Liberation Organization also played a significant role in opposition, but its major force was defeated by late 1979, prior to the Soviet intervention. The decade-long war resulted in the death of 850,000–1.5 million civilians as well as causing millions of Afghans to flee the country, mostly to Pakistan and Iran.

Question 2

Afghanistan War

Answer 2

Afghanistan War (October 7, 2001 to present)

Operation “Enduring Freedom”

The wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, marking the beginning of its War on Terrorism campaign, seeking to oust the Taliban and find al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The officially-stated purpose of the invasion was to destroy al-Qaeda and deny them sanctuary and freedom of movement within Afghanistan.

U.S. Casualties: 1098 deaths, 2379 wounded in action (As of Dec 21, 2014).

Question 3

Iraq War

Answer 3

Iraq War (March 20, 2003 to December 15, 2011)

The Iraq War is an ongoing conflict in the Middle Eastern country of Iraq, which began with the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The U.S.-led coalition overthrew Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and occupied Iraq in an attempt to establish a new governmental regime.

U.S. Casualties: 4,404 deaths; 31,827 wounded in action (As of Dec 21, 2014).

Question 4

Persian Gulf War

Answer 4

Gulf War (August 2, 1990 to February 28, 1991)

“Desert Storm”

The 1991 Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of approximately 30 nations. The Gulf War led by the United States and mandated by the United Nations in order to liberate Kuwait.

U.S. Casualties: 378 deaths, less than 1000 wounded in action (As of Dec 21, 2014).

To force Iraq out of Kuwait, George Bush formed a large and diverse international coalition and deployed over a half-million U.S. personnel to the Persian Gulf region as part of an allied force. The success of Operation Desert Storm set a new high-water mark for the military and underscored the principle of committing overwhelming force to clear and achievable objectives. Both allied and popular support was largely maintained throughout the campaign. In this way, the Gulf War appears to validate the military doctrine espoused by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Colin Powell.

Question 5

Operation Allied Force (1999)

Answer 5

Operation Allied Force - Kosovo
April 1999

Citing Serb atrocities and ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, the U.S. and NATO unleashed air attacks on Serbia after the failure of the “mini-Dayton” peace talks held in Rambouillet, France. President Clinton outlines no “exit strategies” and warns that air strikes will continue as long as necessary. From the start, the Clinton administration ruled out sending U.S. ground troops to the Balkans, though debate over the utility of air power alone repeatedly revives the issue. Vast floods of refugees spill into neighboring countries, threatening to enlarge the crisis and sparking criticism of the lack of contingency planning by NATO.

Question 6

Invasion of Haiti (1994)

Answer 6

Invasion of Haiti
September 19, 1994

After negotiations and sanctions failed, Clinton sent U.S. troops to Haiti to restore ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to power and to head off a potential wave of Haitian refugees. A last-minute deal, brokered by former President Jimmy Carter, allowed the troops to go ashore unopposed by the Haitian military and police. Most U.S. troops withdrew within a year, though several hundred remained to pursue a wide agenda of peacekeeping, humanitarian and engineering activities. While Clinton administration officials consistently hailed the intervention as a model effort to restore democracy and promote stability abroad, political, economic and social conditions gradually eroded. In March 1999, the U.S. commander responsible for the remaining military personnel reportedly recommended ending the five-year military presence on the island due to continuing instability.

Question 7

Somalia (1992-1993)

Answer 7

Somalia
1992-1993

Toward the end of the Bush administration, the United States sent approximately 25,000 troops to Somalia to assist the United Nations with the distribution of famine relief supplies. By the time Bill Clinton took office in 1993, U.S. troop levels had been vastly reduced, largely replaced with forces operating under the UN flag. However as UN clashes with local “warlords” increased, American troops became engaged in policing and wider peacekeeping operations. After 18 U.S. Rangers were killed in a firefight in Mogadishu on October 3, 1993, the United States briefly reinforced its troops but retreated from the more ambitious “nation-building” agenda previously outlined by Secretary of Defense Les Aspin. Criticized for having made decisions that may have contributed to the disaster, Aspin resigned two months later.