Summary of Craig Whitlock & The Washington Post's The Afghanistan Papers

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

#1 In 2002, President George W. Bush ordered the U. S. military to go to war in Afghanistan to retaliate for the 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed 2,977 people. The war transformed Bush’s political standing. Although he barely won the presidency in the disputed 2000 election, polls showed 75 percent of Americans now approved of his job performance.

#2 When the war began, it was clear and narrow: to defeat al-Qaeda and prevent a repeat of the 9/11 attacks. However, as the years went on, and the Taliban were overthrown, the mission became much more difficult to define.

#3 The United States went to war with Afghanistan without knowing why, or what they were trying to achieve. They just knew they wanted to get rid of al-Qaeda, and the Taliban quickly became secondary.

#4 The Bush administration changed its goals and objectives soon after it began bombing Afghanistan in October 2001. The secret six-page document called for the elimination of al-Qaeda and the termination of Taliban rule, but listed few concrete objectives beyond that.

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