The United States went to war in Afghanistan following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The Taliban government in Afghanistan had provided a safe haven for Al-Qaeda, the terrorist group responsible for the attacks, and refused to turn over its leader, Osama bin Laden. The U.S. and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to remove the Taliban from power and hunt down bin Laden and other Al-Qaeda operatives. The war in Afghanistan continues to this day, with the main objectives now being the stabilization of the country, the defeat of Islamist extremist groups, and the promotion of democratic governance.
