U.S. Planned to Invade Afghanistan Before 9/11, with covert strategies already in motion, as years of intervention contributed to the Taliban’s rise and eventual return to power.

On September 10th, 2001, U.S. officials in the Bush administration made a fateful decision: to pursue a covert war against the Taliban. This plan, which had been developing for months, aimed to confront al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, but the story was far more complex than the public narrative of responding to a “growing threat.” The U.S. had long been involved in destabilizing Afghanistan, particularly during the Soviet-Afghan war in the 1980s, when it funnelled support to mujahideen forces. This directly contributed to the rise of extremist groups like the Taliban. Instead of addressing the chaos it helped create, the U.S. was now preparing to escalate its involvement in a region it had already played a major role in fracturing.

Adding to this complexity was the involvement of figures like Laili Helms, a well-known advocate for the Taliban in the West before the 9/11 attacks. Helms, married to the nephew of former CIA Director Richard Helms, was described by The New York Times as the Taliban’s “unofficial liaison to the West.” Her connections to both Western elites and the Taliban highlight the blurred lines of influence and advocacy that defined U.S. engagement with Afghanistan.

On September 9, 2001, just days before the 9/11 attacks, Ahmad Shah Massoud, the leader of the Northern Alliance and a key figure opposing the Taliban, was assassinated by al-Qaeda operatives. This crucial event, which remains largely unknown to the public, weakened the anti-Taliban forces and cleared the way for U.S. intervention. The assassination was seen as a gift from Osama bin Laden to the Taliban, removing one of their strongest opponents in Afghanistan just as the U.S. was preparing for broader military action.

Then, on September 11th, the unthinkable happened. Four commercial planes were hijacked by al-Qaeda operatives, leading to devastating attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a failed attempt on another target. Nearly 3,000 people were killed. The attacks gave the U.S. government the justification they were seeking to advance its military agenda. What had been a covert strategy quickly escalated into a full-scale war. The Bush administration seized the moment to launch a sweeping “War on Terror,” with Afghanistan as its first target.

On October 7th, 2001, the U.S. launched Operation Enduring Freedom to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban. While the invasion initially overthrew the Taliban, the U.S. managed to create increased instability over the nearly two-decades-long occupation of Afghanistan.

Today, the Taliban are more powerful than ever, regaining control of Afghanistan in 2021 after the U.S. withdrawal. Their return reversed human rights progress, particularly for women, and underscored the failure of U.S. interventionism in the region. Instead of being weakened, the Taliban now controls more territory and exerts greater influence than before 9/11, with Afghanistan suffering from continued instability stoked by American empire.