Located at the crossroads of the Near East, Central Asia, South Asia, and China, Afghanistan has been devastated by almost constant crisis and fighting since the 1970s. In 1996, following Soviet withdrawal from the country, the Taliban took control. This opened the door for extremists and terrorists to find a home there. One such person was the architect of the September 11 terror attacks, Osama bin Laden. In the wake of the horror of 9/11, the US military committed troops to Afghanistan, in an operation that would last 20 years. But what did this mission entail, and how do things look now?
Click on to learn more about the country's fate.