afghanistan war when did it start and end
The War in Afghanistan (or the U.S. War in Afghanistan; code named Operation Enduring Freedom -- Afghanistan (2001 -- 2014) and Operation Freedom's Sentinel (2015 -- present)) followed the United States invasion of Afghanistan of October 7, 2001. The U.S. was supported initially by the United Kingdom and Canada and later by a coalition of over 40 countries, including all NATO members. The war's public aims were to dismantle al-Qaeda and to deny it a safe base of operations in Afghanistan by removing the Taliban from power. The War in Afghanistan is the second longest war in United States history, behind the Vietnam War.