Afghanistan - A Chronicle

On September 11, 2001, attackers from the Islamist terror group, al Qaeda, flew two hijacked passenger planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York. A third airplane flew into the Pentagon in Washington and a fourth crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. More than 3,000 people were killed. An investigation into the attacks pointed to terrorist camps in Afghanistan.

The Bush administration responded on October 7 with a strike against Afghanistan where they believed the man responsible for 9-11, Osama bin Laden, was hiding. The US overthrew the Taliban regime and tried to destroy al Qaeda. On November 13, 2001, the Afghan capital Kabul fell. The Taliban withdrew to the rugged Afghan-Pakistani border region.

Shortly after the fall of the Taliban, representaitves from the four main Afghan ethnic groups met in late 2001 for a UN-sponsored conference at the Petersberg hotel outside Bonn, Germany. No members of the Taliban were present. On December 5, 2001, the participants agreed to the creation of a transitional government under President Hamid Karzai, who was to lead the country on a path to democracy.

On December 22, 2001, the German parliament, the Bundestag, approved by a large majority the deployment of German troops in Afghanistan for a United Nations peacekeeping mission. The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), created by the UN and dispatched to the country, was to ensure security and help the Afghan government with reconstruction.

On March 6, 2002, the first German troops in Afghanistan died while attempting to defuse an anti-aircraft missile. Further incidents followed: On June 7, 2003, a suicide bomber blew himself up in Kabul. Four soldiers died and 29 others were injured in the explosion. It was the first time German troops had fallen victim to a suicide attack.

More than two years after the fall of the Taliban regime, the Afghan government approved a democratic constitution in January, 2004. The 502 delegates at the Constitutional Assembly agreed to set up the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan with a presidential system and paved the way for general elections. On October 9, 2004, Hamid Karzai emerged as the winner of the ballot.

At the Berlin Conference, the international community committed a total of 8.2 billion USD to the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Germany's share of that sum was 80 million euros (96 million USD). The meeting in Berlin also focused on combating drug smuggling and boosting the number of ISAF troops.

At the London Conference, the international community approved a 5-year program for Afghanistan and earmarked 10.5 billion USD for it. Step by step, the country was to be moved toward self-reliance. However, the precarious security situation in the years that followed led to numerous other conferences.

German Army Colonel Georg Klein ordered the bombardment of two tank trucks hijacked by Taliban fighters near the Afghan city of Kunduz. The bombing killed about 100 people, mostly civilians. It was the most devastating attack ordered by German troops since the end of World War II, prompting stark criticism at home and ultimately leading to the resignation of the Defense Minister, Franz Josef Jung.

On a return trip to Germany after visiting troops in Afghanistan, President Horst Köhler gave a controversial interview in which he justified the mission of German forces as safeguarding German economic interests. His remarks unleashed a hefty political debate at home. Shortly thereafter, Köhler tendered his resignation as president.

NATO foreign ministers met in the Afghan capital under tight security. It was the first such meeting in the war-torn country. Despite the unstable situation, the ministers agreed to hand over full responsibility for security in the country to Afghan troops by the end of 2014 and to withdraw NATO forces.

On September 18, 2010, Afghan voters elected a new parliament. Attacks, killing at least 22 people, overshadowed the ballot. International monitors also complained about massive election fraud. There was no clear winner of the vote.

US Navy Seals stormed the walled compound of al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, during the night of May 2, 2011, in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad and shot him dead. US President Barack Obama followed the raid live with close advisers at the White House. Thousands of people across the US celebrated in the streets after learning of bin Laden's death.

On December 5, 2011, the German city of Bonn hosted another international conference - 10 years after the first meeting. The heads of state and government agreed to give Afghanistan financial support until 2024. In return, President Karzai promised to implement reforms to ensure Afghanistan's self-reliance, combat corruption and lead the country towards a stable democracy.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed an accord on May 16, 2012, cementing cooperation between the two countries. The German government promised more aid, but tied it to further reforms. Karzai, in return, promised that his government would observe human rights and the rule of law.

President Karzai announces the transfer of security responsibilites across the entire country: All districts, which had previously been under NATO control, were now the responsibility of Afghan forces. In the following months, international forces began withdrawing from outlying areas.

On August 21, 2013, German Under-Secretary of State Klaus-Dieter Fritsche and Geman Ambassador Oliver Owcza officially handed over the police training academy in Kunduz to the Afghan Interior Ministry. The transfer also marked the official completion of German efforts to train Afghan police forces in Kunduz province. Since 2010, Germany trained more than 4,600 police recruits.

German Defense Minister Thomas de Maiziere and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle handed over control of the German barracks in Kunduz to the Afghan government on October 6, 2013. The second largest German armed forces camp is to be used by the Afghan police and military. The handover marked the official end of Germany's 10-year mission in Afghanistan.

ISAF combat troops are expected to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014. Billions of dollars in reconstruction aid, however, will continue to flow into the country from the international community. But, even so, for Afghanistan it will no doubt continue to be a rocky road to self-reliance - and above all - peace.