Mail Online
June 9, 2010
Afghanistan has become the longest conflict in American history – surpassing even the Vietnam war.
The war entered its 104th month yesterday, with 30,000 American troops being deployed in the first half of this year alone.
The last U.S. ground combat soldiers were brought home from Vietnam after 103 months of fighting.
The Afghanistan war, launched in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, seemed to be close to resolution after three months, when every major Taliban city in the country had fallen and Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was on the run.
The Afghan war entered its 104th month for U.S. troops yesterday
The last U.S. ground combat troops were brought home from Vietnam after 103 months of fighting
But bin Laden evaded capture, and while America was waging war on Iraq, the Taliban regrouped and regained control in key areas of the country.
However, America's longest war is not its bloodiest. There have been 1,000 U.S. casualties in Afghanistan, compared to the 58,000 troops lost in Vietnam.
But, with President Obama committed to decisive action to beat back Taliban insurgents, analysts fear there could be many more fatalities to come.
Public support for the war has also fallen as the number of dead has increased - just as it did with Vietnam. More than half of Americans now believe that the fighting in Afghanistan has not been worth the cost.
