US Counterterrorism Operations in Afghanistan

Jackpots, Dry Holes, and Collateral Damage

Jonathan Schroden

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Edition: 1
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: American Government
• eBook ISBN:
  9781350374201
• Index: Politics & International Relations

In this landmark work, Jonathan Schroden captures the complete history of US counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan.

Beginning with the United States' overthrow of the Taliban government in 2001 and ending with the Taliban's overthrow of the US-backed government twenty years later, Schroden describes the creation, evolution, operations, and results of US and Afghan special operations task forces designed to counter al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and the Islamic State in Afghanistan.

Building on existing scholarly research into US counter-terror operations, this book also features analysis of memoirs, news and investigative reporting, official US government accounts and documents, as well as interviews with key leaders of US counter-terrorism units and operations in Afghanistan. The result is a complete, detailed, nuanced, and objective understanding of the goals, approaches, and results of US counter-terrorism operations during its war in Afghanistan.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Series Page
• Halftitle Page
• Studies in Contemporary Warfare
• Title Page
• Dedication Page
• Table of Contents
• Tables
• Map
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• 1 Retribution by Invasion (2001)
• 2 Killing, Capturing, and Chasing al-Qaeda (2002)
• 3 Losing Focus (2003–2005)
• 4 Expanding the Target Set (2006–2008)
• 5 The Rise of Counterinsurgency (2009)
• 6 Expansion, Escalation, Evisceration, Dissonance (2010–2011)
• 7 Transition the Mission (2012–2014)
• 8 The Beginning of the End (2015–2017)
• 9 Under Pressure (2018–2021)
• 10 Over the Horizon (2022–2024)
• Endnotes
• Bibliography
• Index
• eCopyright