Back in the aftermath of 9/11, the war in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001 with allied air strikes on Taliban and al-Qaeda targets. On the ground, American, British and other Allied troops worked with the Northern Alliance, a group of Afghan warlords opposed to the Taliban, to begin a military offensive. This led, within little more than a month, to the fall of Kabul and the retreat of the Taliban from most of northern Afghanistan. As more Allied troops entered the war and the Northern Alliance forces fought their way southwards, many Taliban fighters retreated to their villages while others followed their leadership and al-Qaeda towards the mountainous border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

At the time many predicted a quick victory, but from 2002 onwards, the Taliban began regrouping. As time passed, and the American military focus was diverted to Iraq, the organisation began to extend its influence from the eastern border area to the southern part of Afghanistan - Helmand province in particular, where the British have concentrated their military effort. The Taliban's return was assisted by a resurgent opium trade, which helped to fill the group's coffers.

From 2005 onwards it increased its attacks, using suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to attack strategic targets and allied troop deployments. Dealing with vast areas and limited manpower, the coalition continued to hold the cities and highways, but faced with an increasingly vigorous insurgency, was forced to cede large parts of the countryside to the Taliban.

Nato took command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2003, with troops in the north, west and south of the country, as well as Kabul. In 2006 it extended its remit to Afghanistan's eastern provinces, which had previously been under US control. But Nato operations in Afghanistan have been bedevilled by disagreements over troop deployments, with many Nato members refusing to deploy their troops where there is a significant danger of casualties.

Now, with foreign forces committed to leaving, Afghanistan's delicate security situation will depend more and more on Hamid Karzai's notoriously corrupt administration.

     

Hamid Karzai

Who?

President of Afghanistan

Turned 21

1978

Family Ties

His uncle, Habibullah Karzai, was a special representative for the UN and accompanied former king Zahir Shah to meet with John F Kennedy in Washington.

The linguist

Speaks Pashto, Dali, Urdu, Hindi, English and French.

Family business

His family owns a chain of successful restaurants across the United States.

Love of his life

Wife Zeenat Quraishi is an obstetrician.

Assassination Attempts

There have been four assassination attempts on Karzai’s life, including an attack by a gunman posing as his bodyguard, and three rocket attacks.

Accolades

Karzai has an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth.

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