Afghanistan Still at War 15 Years after US Attack; Began after 9/11/2001 to Prevent Terrror Attacks

Nearly one month after the September 11 terror attacks that killed some 3,000 people, the U.S. launched its first major salvo in the "war on terror" by invading Afghanistan -- where 15 years on, thousands continue to die each year -- the AFP (Agence France-Presse) website reports today (October 8, 2016).

Afghanistan -- which the U.S. invaded on October 7, 2001 in a bid to topple Al-Qaeda hosts the Taliban -- has become Washington's longest military intervention since Vietnam, and the most costly, now costing over $100 billion.

The Taliban continues to launch repeated attacks on urban centers -- including an attack this week on the strategic northern city of Kunduz -- while the capital Kabul is often rocked by bomb blasts.

The Taliban threat forced President Barack Obama to slow plans to draw down U.S. troop numbers at the end of this year. Some 8,400 will remain in the war-torn country in 2017, compared with 5,500 initially planned.