America’s longest war in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001. It carried the huge price tag of 2.3 trillion dollars, and the loss of more than 24-hundred Americans.

The toll was even higher for the Afghan people. 48-thousand civilians and 66-thousand members of the Afghan military and police were killed. According to the United Nations, more than three-point-five million Afghans were forced from their homes.
At least two-and-a-half million Afghan refugees are now living in other countries. Those who stayed behind are facing even more hardship with shortages of food and money.

Joining the discussion:

• Marvin Weinbaum is the director of Afghanistan and Pakistan studies at the Middle East Institute.
• Jack Midgley served in Afghanistan as a U.S. Army civilian adviser and is the Principal of Midgley and Company.
• Haroun Rahimi is an associate professor at The American University in Afghanistan.
• Sayed Fahim Sadat heads the Department of Masters in International Relations at Kardan University.

For more:

Conflict, displacement, economic collapse, #COVID19, a failing health system…#Afghanistan has endured 40 years of hardship. Despite all adversities, humanitarians are still here – staying and delivering.

Here are 9 things you need to know ➡️
https://t.co/fExCIlKvfA

— UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) October 7, 2021

Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow and the director of research in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, explains how the international community can pressure the Taliban to ease Afghanistan’s growing economic and humanitarian crisis.#CGTNAmerica https://t.co/ZjH6AC2S6J

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) October 7, 2021

After 20 years of war in Afghanistan and 775,000 troops deployed there, a surprising statistic: Zero U.S. troops missing in action. https://t.co/EhqGBU1IVs

— NYT National News (@NYTNational) October 7, 2021