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About Enduring Freedom (All of the below is quoted out of Wikipedia) |
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"Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) is the official name used by the U.S. Government for its War in Afghanistan, together with three smaller military actions, under the umbrella of its Global War on Terror (GWOT). The operation was originally called "Operation Infinite Justice", (often misquoted in news articles and political commentary as "Operation Ultimate Justice") but this phrase had previously been restricted to the description of God (among followers of several faiths), and it is believed to have been changed to avoid offense to Muslims. On October 5, 2006, NATO officially took over control of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
The Operation comprises several subordinate operations:
Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan (OEF-A)
Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines (OEF-P) (formerly Operation Freedom Eagle)
Operation Enduring Freedom - Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA)
Operation Enduring Freedom - Trans Sahara (OEF-TS)
Operation Enduring Freedom - Kyrgyzstan (completed in 2004)
The term "OEF" typically refers to the war in Afghanistan. Other operations, such as the Georgia Train and Equip Program, are only loosely or nominally connected to OEF, such as through government funding vehicles.[5] All the operations, however, have a focus on counterterrorism activities. Operation Enduring Freedom - Kyrgyzstan was basically an operation to clear out al-Qaeda forces in Kyrgyzstan so that Operation Enduring Freedom Allies could use Kyrgyzstan as a base in central Asia.
It should be noted that Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan, which is a joint US, UK and Afghan operation, is separate from the ISAF, which is an operation of NATO nations including the USA and UK. The two operations run in parallel, and although has been intended that they merge for some time, this has not yet happened.
Overview
On October 7, 2001, early combat operations including a mix of strikes from land-based B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit and B-52 Stratofortress bombers; carrier-based F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet fighters; and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from both U.S. and British ships and submarines signaled the start of Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan (OEF-A). The initial military objectives of OEF-A, as articulated by Former President George W. Bush in his Sept. 20th Address to a Joint Session of Congress and his Oct. 7th address to the country, included the destruction of terrorist training camps and infrastructure within Afghanistan, the capture of al-Qaeda leaders, and the cessation of terrorist activities in Afghanistan."
In January 2002, over 1,200 soldiers from the United States Special Operation Command Pacific (SOCPAC) deployed to Philippines to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in their push to uproot terrorists forces on the island of Basilan. Of those groups included are Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiyah. The operation consisted of training the AFP in counter-terrorist operations as well as supporting the local people with humanitarian aid in Operation Smiles.
In October 2002, the Combined Task Force 150 and United States military Special Forces established themselves in Djibouti at Camp Le Monier. The stated goals of the operation were to provide humanitarian aid and patrol the Horn of Africa to reduce the abilities of terrorist organizations in the region. Similar to OEF-P, the goal of humanitarian aid was highlighted in order to prevent terrorist organizations from being able to take hold amongst the population as well as reemerge after being removed. The military aspect involves coalition forces searching and boarding ships entering the region for illegal cargo as well as providing training and equipment to the armed forces in the region. The humanitarian aspect involves building schools, clinics and water wells to enforce the confidence of the local people.
Since 2001, the cumulative expenditure by the U.S. government on Operation Enduring Freedom has exceeded $150 Billion.
The operation continues, with military direction mostly coming from United States Central Command."
Source For All Of The Above: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Enduring_Freedom
NOTE: Although Wikipedia is a site where anyone can edit the page, I have never had an issue with it and like the way it presents material. To read the Full document on Wikipedia, click here.
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