In the aftermath of the 11 September terrorist attacks, US President George W Bush addressed Congress on the 20th and declared a “war on terror”. He accused al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden of orchestrating the attacks and offered a five point ultimatum to the Taliban to deal with the perpetrators. The United States Special Operation Command (USSOCOM) mobilised a number of special forces units into the Gulf to start operations against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, and among them was at least seven Navy SEAL platoons from SEAL Teams 2, 3 and 8.
The SEALs purpose in the region was to disrupt the day-to-day operations of al-Qaeda, collecting intelligence and searching cave complexes for supplies and weapons caches. In January 2002 a cave complex in Zhawar Kili close to the Pakistani border was discovered to contain huge quantities of ammunition and equipment, and SEALs were supported by US Marines in exploring and securing the caves. During their search they uncovered classrooms, living quarters and a hospital, the caves similar to the tunnel systems used by the Viet Cong in Vietnam. As well as recon and search-and-destroy missions, SEALs were also involved in a series of pitched battles during the fight against terrorism, known as Operation Enduring Freedom.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 119-utgaven av History of War.
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COUPS & CHAOS
How the French armed forces lost the war in Algeria and almost destroyed French democracy in the process
BATTLE OF ALGIERS
When the Front de libération nationale FLN) took its war to the streets of the capital, France’s military responded with merciless wrath
THE RISE OF ALGERIAN RESISTANCE
How the anti-colonialist struggle around the globe helped inspire Algeria’s liberation movement to organise and fight back
ROOTS OF REVOLUTION
A century of French occupation led to a genocide in Algeria that provoked one of the bloodiest showdowns of the modern age
DWIGHT W BIRDWELL
In the opening hours of the North Vietnamese Tet Offensive, this Specialist Five led his armoured cavalry detachment in repulsing a fierce communist assault against Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon
THE FIVE STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP
Phillips O’Brien discusses how this quintet of national leaders impacted the course of the Second World War
Great Battles FLODDEN
On the morning of 9 September 1513, King James lV of Scotland stood atop Flodden Hill with what seemed an insurmountable advantage over the English. Yet by the day's end he would lay slain and his army shattered
FERDINAND 'THE BLOODY'
Known for his brutal martial punishment and execution of his own men, Ferdinand Schérner’s ruthlessness was matched only by his devotion to Nazi ideology
AIRBORNE UNDER SIEGE ARNHEM
For nine days the heroic 1st Airborne fought desperately, waiting vainly for relief that never came
SCANDINAVIA UNDER ATTACK
Hitler’s forces smash through Denmark and Norway ina grim foretaste of the terrible fate awaiting the rest of Western Europe
