This timeline examines the events that precipitated the U.S. war in Afghanistan as well as the history of the war.

The answer is simple: 9/11. The most costly terrorist attack ever was carried out from Afghanistan. The United States showed bipartisan determination to bring the perpetrators to justice and—the part that explains our continuing engagement in Afghanistan—to prevent its soil from ever being used again to stage terrorist attacks.

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Max Boot argues that substantial withdrawals of American military personnel from Afghanistan ignore the reality of the situation.

All signs suggest that the United States will not be keeping large numbers of forces in Afghanistan for much longer, says CFR's Stephen Biddle.

A precipitous drawdown to 6,000 troops in Afghanistan after 2014 would cripple the U.S. counterterrorism mission and Afghan security forces, vastly increasing the risk of a Taliban takeover, says Max Boot.

The Afghan troop surge has ended and full U.S. military involvement is to sunset in 2014, leaving a fragile security situation and questions about the U.S. role, says CFR's Max Boot.

Joshua Foust highlights the apprehensiveness of both presidential candidates to address the ongoing war in Afghanistan and what it means for raising public or political pressure to find a lasting solution.

Recent "insider attacks" on U.S. forces raise concerns about the Afghan security transition in 2014 and long-term U.S. support for local troops, says CFR's Stephen Biddle.

The crucial role played by American warplanes in Afghanistan also raises questions about the prospects for the fight against the Taliban in the future.

President Obama's speech in Afghanistan lacked a strong rationale for continuing a substantial U.S. commitment beyond 2014, says CFR President Richard N. Haass.

Max Boot argues that President Barack Obama's daring raid on Osama bin Laden now looks like a turning point toward weaker policies.

The new U.S.-Afghan strategic partnership agreement is a step forward as the Western troop drawdown clock ticks down, but Washington must provide more specific pledges for Afghanistan's security, says CFR's Max Boot.

The latest spate of violence in Afghanistan is unlikely to change the course of planned troop withdrawals, but should refocus efforts on bringing under control Pakistan-based militants, says CFR's Daniel Markey.

CFR's James M. Lindsay remembers the Bay of Pigs invasion, which began on April 17, 1961, and discusses the importance of preparing for failure and planning accordingly.

The killing of Afghan civilians and the Taliban's suspension of peace talks have complicated the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. CFR's Stephen Biddle discusses U.S. choices.

Following the attack on Afghan civilians by a U.S. Army sergeant, and the recent burning of Qurans by NATO soldiers, the United States' relationship with Afghanistan has come under sharp focus. Listen to CFR senior fellows Stephen Biddle and Max Boot discuss these events, the planned drawdown of U.S. troops by 2014, and the future of U.S. policy toward Afghanistan.

The debate following the Kandahar massacre shows that Americans at home and in Afghanistan still don't quite understand the meaning of events in that country, writes Ahmad Shuja.

The latest events in Afghanistan cement the war as deeply flawed: Panjwai may just do what Abu Ghraib or My Lai did for previous wars, write George Packer at the New Yorker.

The killing of Afghan civilians allegedly by a U.S. soldier aggravates U.S.-Afghan ties, raises fresh doubts about talks with the Taliban, and feeds debate about strategy to end the war.

The violence against U.S. troops in the aftermath of Quran burnings has raised fresh doubts over the U.S.-Afghan partnership and the mission in Afghanistan.