Tracing their history to the legendary frogmen of World War II, SEALs are specially trained to strike from and return to the sea -- to clandestinely approach a target larger forces could never get near, gather intelligence, and if necessary, destroy it. Armed with a variety of small arms, including 9mm MP5-series submachine guns and Mossberg shotguns, the SEAL’s deployed four teams into the Afghan theater right after 9/11. They did recon for a possible amphibious landing in Pakistan, helped to seal off the Taliban from weapons shipments by sea, and marked and guarded the airfield that would become Camp Rhino so that the Marines could land.

They also worked with members of the Amry’s Delta Force as part of "Task Force 11," responsible for hunting down members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda leadership." Two months before Anaconda began, they located a massive Al Qaeda cave complex in eastern Afghanistan. They found almost one million pounds of ammunition and equipment, which they destroyed (though some of the enemy vehicles discovered were so large they had to be bombed by Navy aircraft.) It was also an important intelligence victory, as they found office space brimming with invaluable documents. One month later, the SEALs captured Taliban Mullah Khairullah Kahirkhawa in February, working with Danish Special Forces and using intel from a Predator.

The full extent of their involvement might not be known for many years, but already the SEALs have a clear place in the history of Enduring Freedom. Back to top

Afghanistan has never had much of a national army - lack of resources and tribal society never allowed it. But individual factions could operate extremely well, and with a good knowledge of the lay of the land, these mountain fighters have repeatedly outmaneuvered invading forces. In the late 19th century against the British, and in the late 20th century against the Soviets, the Afghans fought off these dominant empires by retreating before their invading armies, and then launching protracted, highly effective and eventually successful guerilla wars. The Taliban's army is a coalition of militias with varying degrees of skill and loyalty to their cause. Many have a history of switching sides before coming under the command of the Taliban. They have good mobility, but can’t penetrate defenses or hold positions. In major battles they have a tendency to rush into the front lines, and leave their rear weakly defended, and vulnerable to counterattack.

The Taliban are variously led by tribesmen, seasonal conscripts, and foreign volunteers -- many from Pakistan, America's nominal ally in the war on terro. Some elite units exist, with troops recruited from religious madrassas, and led by the mujahideen of earlier wars. The number changes, but there’s a core of about 25,000 troops. Their cavalry units, if they can be called that, use pickup trucks for combat and support missions. Some units have armored vehicles and artillery, and even a few tanks, but the Kalashnikov assault rifle is their mainstay. Back to top

Formed around 1988 by Osama bin Laden, al-Qaeda helped finance, recruit, transport and train thousands of fighters from dozens of countries as part of the Afghan resistance against the Soviet Union. The resulting group turned into an international terrorist network after the war, and in February, 1998, it issued a statement declaring war on all US citizens and allies, everywhere they could be found. It’s strength further increased in June, 2001, when it merged with an Egyptian terrorist group headed by Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Al Qaeda has sophisticated tactics for assassination, bombing, hijacking, and kidnapping, with good operational security, and long-range planning. Many reports and statements from bin Laden himself indicate that the group is determined to build or steal biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. Their targets tend to be prominent symbols and public buildings, high-profile buildings. According to CIA head George Tenet, the organization has increasingly focused on developing puppet groups to carry out attacks in which bin Ladin's fingerprints are not detected.

With a global financial network, dozens of affiliated groups, and several thousand recruits, the organization has provided training and support for terrorists fighting in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bosnia, Chechnya, Eritrea, Kosovo, the Philippines, Somalia, Tajikistan, Yemen, Kosovo, as well as North and South America. Back to top