History Of American Civilization II course work: Why did the United States wage wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the decade after 9/11, and why did...

In your post, you have asked three very distinct questions. I will answer the first question, as policy requires one question per post. The United States fought wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the decade after September 11, 2001, in an attempt to destroy the bases where terrorists trained and planned their attacks. The United States government believed that these nations would continue to sponsor and/or enable terrorists to operate if the United States...

In your post, you have asked three very distinct questions. I will answer the first question, as policy requires one question per post. The United States fought wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the decade after September 11, 2001, in an attempt to destroy the bases where terrorists trained and planned their attacks. The United States government believed that these nations would continue to sponsor and/or enable terrorists to operate if the United States did nothing to stop this from occurring. The United States hoped that by fighting in these countries, the terrorists would be defeated and destroyed, making the world a safer place. We also hoped to stabilize the governments in each country by having a military presence in each place. We believed a stable government would be able to manage and control these terrorist organizations.

Even though we had the technological and military advantage, a military victory proved to be very difficult. One reason was that the American government was concerned about the political ramifications in the United States. It was more important to keep military casualties low than to achieve an overwhelming victory that might lead to higher casualty rates. There also were many political divisions in Iraq that made it hard for their government to be successful. In Afghanistan, there were economic concerns, such as poverty, that prevented the government from succeeding. Corruption was also a concern in Afghanistan. Some government officials worked very closely with Iran to enable terrorist groups to exist and function. The drug trade also helped these terrorist organizations function. As a result, the United States had to keep troops in both countries. A permanent political victory continues to be elusive for the United States in both places.