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MAKING WAR ON TERROR
Since the attacks of September 11, the United States has launched a full-scale initiative to stop terrorists around the world. While its target remains the instigators of the attacks, the U.S. also takes action against other foreign threats. The CIA has played a vital role in the collection of intelligence related to the 2001 attack and prevention of other such terror initiatives. Here are more facts about Afghanistan, the War on Terror, and how the CIA has impacted its progress:
- President Truman established the CIA in the signing of the National Security Act of 1947.
- The Panjshir Valley is an isolated area in Northern Afghanistan, surrounded by mountains. The geographic make-up helped the valley stave off invasions from both the Red Army and the forces of the Taliban.
- Afghanistan has two official languages, Dari and Pashto. Fifty percent of the population speaks Dari and 35 percent speaks Pashto. The remaining population speaks a myriad of other languages, including dialects of Turkish, and much of the population is bilingual.
- Formed in 1996 as a direct opposition to Taliban rule, the Northern Alliance, also known as the United Front, is a multi-ethnic opposition unit comprised of non-Pashtun groups such as the Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Hazaras. The 2001 U.S.-led offensive reinvigorated the group, which had previously suffered from internal disputes.
- Senior CIA officers generally make $115,000 to $177,000 a year. They have the same health plans and benefits that workers and retirees receive from other federal agencies.
- Gary Berntsen, field commander during the 2001 Jawbreaker operation, now maintains the public blog “A CIA Insider's View of National Security and Terrorism,” where he provides commentary on the security and intelligence communities.
- The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, known as the Durand Line, is porous to cross-border smuggling and is approximately 1500 miles long. The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), located along the Durand Line, are governed by local warlords and tribal leaders.
- The international terrorist network Al-Qaeda was formed by Osama bin Laden in 1988. It was born out of the Maktab-al-Khidamat, or “Services Office,” an organization set up in opposition to the Soviet invasion, that channeled money and fighters into Afghanistan. Egyptian, Lebanese, and Turkish fighters also joined bin Laden’s ranks and continue to support Al Qaeda today.
- The Special Operations Forces Laser Marker, or SOFLAM, is a laser rangefinder that allows precision pinpointing on the ground to designate enemy targets. The marker is essential in guiding aerial vehicles to their target points for dropping bombs.
- The BLU-82, nicknamed the “Daisy Cutter,” is the world's largest conventional bomb with a massive blast radius. It was originally used during the Vietnam War to clear spaces for helicopter landings.
- The mountains of Tora Bora feature elaborate byzantine bunkers, used by bin Laden as a stronghold. They housed crates of munitions, guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and enough sustenance to withstand a prolonged fight.
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, also known as "drones," are essential tools in surveillance and bombing missions over the Afghan landscape. They are also increasingly being used domestically in civil applications; U.S. Border Patrol uses UAV's to police the Mexico-U.S. border. UAV's are also being developed for use in air traffic control and emergency response.
- The poppy fields of Afghanistan are used by the Taliban to generate money to support their insurgency. It is believed that the Taliban earns as much as $300 million a year in the opium trade and through offering protection to Afghan poppy farmers.
- The first U.S. Special Forces A-Team, Team 555 (the Triple Nickel), landed in the Shomali Plains on October 19, 2001. However, the two choppers landed in the wrong locations. The team was split miles from each other, each with 300 pounds of cargo. Dropped deep behind enemy lines, exploration was out of the question. Frantically searching in the dark, CIA officers found them before they were exposed to the Taliban.
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