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April 20th, 2024 | 3:21 AM ET

The Taliban Resurgence

Posted: March 17th, 2016

On May 1, 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush delivered his infamous “Mission Accomplished” speech declaring, “In the battle of Afghanistan, we destroyed the Taliban, many terrorists, and the camps where they trained.” Yet almost 13 years later, the Taliban (meaning “the students”) remains alive and well, threatening Afghanistan’s security and persevering as a sharp thorn in the side of Afghan and U.S. forces.

Last September, the Taliban captured Kunduz City, the capital of Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan, after besieging the city for over a year. Although the Taliban only held the city for two weeks, the group’s brief conquest marked the first time in 14 years of war that a major Afghan city had fallen to the Taliban insurgency.

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