Afghan War Marks 10th Anniversary

The longest war that Canada or the U.S. have ever been a part of continues to wreak a huge toll on Afghans.

Today, Oct. 7, 2011, marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led, UN-sanctioned invasion of Afghanistan that led to the end of Islamist Taliban rule and a decade of violence with no end in sight. The invasion began less than a month after the 9/11 terror attacks, as Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the attack and the leader of al-Qaeda, had been provided safe refuge by the Taliban. Operation Enduring Freedom's initial success in ousting the Taliban from power and bringing a modicum of stability to the capital, Kabul, soon dragged out into a country-wide war and nation-building effort that continues to this day. While women's rights have been advanced greatly, and dozens of schools and hospitals have sprung up across the country, Afghanistan remains one of the poorest and most dangerous countries on the planet. So far, 2,670 coalition troops have been killed, including 157 Canadians. More than 9,000 Afghan soldiers have died, and estimates put the number of civilians who have died in the conflict between 14,000 and 34,000. More than 38,000 insurgent fighters are believed to have been killed as well. About 140,000 foreign troops still remain in the country as NATO forces continue efforts to curtail the Taliban insurgency.