Afghanistan

The mountainous country between the former Soviet Union and Pakistan, where al-Qaeda terrorists establish training camps, hosted by the fundamentalist Muslim Taliban, which finally evicts the Russians after a long war, using sophisticated U.S. arms. Clinton attacks al-Qaeda sites using cruise missiles in response to attacks on U.S. interests, but after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, Bush orders in ground troops. CIA paramilitary units are first on the scene, passing targeting information for air strikes. CENTCOM commander Gen. Franks bases Iraq War strategy on the apparent success in Afghanistan.

al-Qaeda

An ultra-fundamentalist Muslim organization founded by Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda forms training bases in Afghanistan, which U.S. President Clinton attacks using cruise missiles in retribution for attacks on U.S. interests, including 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing, the 1998 East Africa embassy bombings, and the 2000 attack on the U...