Battle of Tora Bora
Part of the War on Terrorism
Tora Bora
Date December 2001 Location Tora Bora mountains, Afghanistan Result Tactical Alliance victory; Failure to kill or capture Osama bin Laden.
Combatants
United States, United Kingdom, Afghan Northern Alliance	Taliban, al-Qaeda
Commanders
Bismillah Khan Tommy Franks Dan McNeill	Osama bin Laden
Strength
n/a	Unknown
Casualties
No Coalition deaths reported; Northern Alliance N/A	At least 200 killed

The Battle of Tora Bora was a military engagement that took place in December 2001. US forces were under the impression that al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden may have been hiding in the rugged mountains. If Bin Laden was present during the battle, he certainly would be dead. This may explain why we have never seen another "video" tape of Bin Laden since this battle. Audio technology has advanced to allow one to simulate one's voice once a voice pattern has been captured. This could explain the so-called audio-tapes of Bin Laden that were released just prior to Bush's 2004 re-election. Scaring voters with phony Bin Laden audio tapes to win elections sounds like a Karl Rove hail Mary plan. Unfortunately, it worked. -lol dude This article is about U.S. actions after September 11, 2001. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2400x1800, 401 KB) Summary Tora Bora Mountains Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden (Arabic: ‎; born March 10, 1957[1]), most often mentioned as Osama bin Laden or Usama bin Laden, is a Saudi Arabian militant Islamist and is widely believed to be one of the founders of the organization called al-Qaeda. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Afghanistan_1992_free. ... The Northern Alliance is a term used by the western media, Taliban and Al Qaida to identify the military coalition of various Afghan groups fighting the Taliban. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Taliban_(bordered). ... For the position of women during the Talibans rule, see Taliban treatment of women. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_jihad. ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Afghanistan_1992_free. ... General Bismillah Khan is the chief of staff of the Afghan National Army. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... General Tommy R. Franks (USCENTCOM photo) Tommy Ray Franks KBE (born June 17, 1945) in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, is a retired General in the United States Army, previously serving as the Commander-in-Chief of United States Central Command, overseeing United States Armed Forces operations in a 25-country region, including... Image File history File linksMetadata Isaf_1. ... Dan K. McNeill is a General of the United States Army and since February 1, 2007 commanding officer of the NATO forces in Afghanistan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_jihad. ... Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden (Arabic: ‎; born March 10, 1957[1]), most often mentioned as Osama bin Laden or Usama bin Laden, is a Saudi Arabian militant Islamist and is widely believed to be one of the founders of the organization called al-Qaeda. ... Combatants Taliban al-Qaeda IMU Hezbi Islami Afghanistan Northern Alliance United Nations: ISAF NATO, including: Canada United Kingdom Netherlands France United States Commanders Osama bin Laden Mohammed Omar Obaidullah Akhund Mullah Dadullah† Bismillah Khan Tommy Franks David Fraser Ton van Loon David Richards Dan McNeill Strength 12,000 claimed by... Combatants Afghanistan Northern Alliance  United Kingdom  United States Taliban Commanders Abdul Rashid Dostum Unknown Strength 300-500 men Casualties Afghans: 40-50 killed, at least 50 injured U.S./U.K.: 1 killed, 9 injured 200-400 killed 86 captured The battle of Qala-i-Jangi took place between November... Combatants United States, United Kingdom, Afghan Northern Alliance Taliban, al-Qaeda Commanders Unknown Osama bin Laden Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties No Coalition deaths reported; Northern Alliance N/A At least 200 killed The Battle of Tora Bora took place on December 2001, during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. ... Combatants  United States,  Canada,  United Kingdom,  New Zealand,  Australia,  Denmark,  France,  Norway,  Germany Taliban insurgents, al-Qaeda Commanders Buster Hagenbeck Unknown Strength 2,000 500-1,500 Casualties 8 U.S. servicemen dead, 82 wounded 500-800 [1] In early March 2002 the United States military, along with allied Afghan... Combatants United States, Canada, UK,  Romania, Netherlands, Afghan National Army Taliban insurgents, al-Qaeda Commanders Brig. ... Combatants Canada, Afghan National Army Taliban insurgents Commanders Brig. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... ===SORRY FOR MESSING THIS UP=== Combatants United Kingdom Canada United States Netherlands Denmark Afghan National Army Taliban insurgents Commanders {{country data {{{1}}} country flagicon2 countryname = {{{1}}} variant = size = name = }} Maj. ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden (Arabic: ‎; born March 10, 1957[1]), most often mentioned as Osama bin Laden or Usama bin Laden, is a Saudi Arabian militant Islamist and is widely believed to be one of the founders of the organization called al-Qaeda. ...

Background

Tora Bora (Pashto: تورا بورا, “black dust” ) is a cave complex situated in the White Mountains of eastern Afghanistan ( 34°07′N, 70°13′E), near the Khyber Pass. Pashto (‎, IPA: also known as Pakhto, Pushto, Pukhto ‎, Pashtoe, Pashtu, Pushtu or Pushtoo) is an Iranian language spoken by Pashtuns living in Afghanistan and western Pakistan. ... Safed Koh (white mountain) is a range of mountains on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, up to 15,620ft (4,761 m) above sea-level at Mount Sikaram, straight and rigid, towering above all surrounding hills, it is near the Kabul River. ... Mountain passes of Afghanistan The Khyber Pass (also called the Khaiber Pass or Khaybar Pass) (Urdu: درہ خیبر) (el. ...

In 2001, it was suspected to be in use by al-Qaeda and the location of bin Laden's headquarters, variously described as a multi-storeyed cave complex harnessing hydroelectric power from mountain streams, or a lower-rise dwelling with hotel-like corridors capable of sheltering more than 1,000. It was also said to contain a large cache of ammunition, such as FIM-92 Stinger missiles left over from the 1980s. Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... Type MANPADS Nationality United States Era Cold War/modern Launch platform Man portable Target aircraft History Builder Raytheon Missile Systems Date of design 1967 Production period Service duration 1981-present Operators Britain, Germany, Israel, Iran, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Pakistan, Switzerland, United States Variants Number built Approx. ...

The outposts in use in 2001 were originally built by extending and shoring up natural caves, with the assistance of the CIA in the early 1980s for use by mujahideen during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but several may date back to much earlier periods, as the difficult terrain has been used by tribal warriors fighting foreign invaders since ancestral times. The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Mujahideen (Arabic: , ; Turkish: , literally strugglers) is a term for Muslims fighting in a war or involved in any other struggle. ... A Soviet soldier on guard in Afghanistan in 1988. ...

The Battle

Image:Anaconda area of operations.

At the end of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the foreign al-Qaeda fighters were still holding out in the mountains of Tora Bora. Anti-Taliban tribal militia continued a steady advance through the difficult terrain, backed by withering air strikes guided in by U.S. and British Special Forces. Facing defeat and reluctant to fight fellow Muslims, the al-Qaeda forces negotiated a truce with a local militia commander to give them time to surrender their weapons. In retrospect, however, many believe that the truce was a ruse to allow important al-Qaeda figures, including Osama bin Laden, to escape. On December 12, the fighting flared again, possibly initiated by a rear guard buying time for the main force's escape through the White Mountains into the tribal areas of Pakistan. Once again, tribal forces backed by U.S. special operations troops and air support pressed ahead against fortified al-Qaeda positions in caves and bunkers scattered throughout the mountainous region. Twelve British SBS commandos accompanied the U.S. special operations forces in the attack on the cave complex at Tora Bora. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 522 pixelsFull resolution (1354 × 883 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 522 pixelsFull resolution (1354 × 883 pixel, file size: 1. ... Combatants al-Qaeda, Taliban Northern Alliance, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand, Italy, Germany Commanders Mohammed Omar Osama bin Laden Tommy Franks Mohammed Fahim Strength Casualties {{{notes}}} The United States invasion of Afghanistan occurred in October 2001, in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... Lexington Minuteman representing militia minuteman John Parker. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... December 12 is the 346th day (347th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 19 days remaining. ... The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are areas of Pakistan outside the four provinces, comprising a region of some 27,220 km² (10,507 mi²). // The FATA are bordered by: Afghanistan to the west with the border marked by the Durand Line, the North-West Frontier Province and the Punjab... The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the British Royal Navys special forces unit. ...

By December 17, the last cave complex had been taken and their defenders overrun. They did not find any massive “underground fortresses”, only small bunkers and outposts and a few minor training camps ^[1]. December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

A search of the area by U.S. forces continued into January, but no sign of bin Laden or the al-Qaeda leadership emerged. Former CIA officer Gary Berntsen, who led the CIA team in Afghanistan that was tasked with locating Osama bin Laden, claims in his 2005 book Jawbreaker that he and his team had pinpointed the location of Osama bin Laden. Also according to Berntsen, a number of al-Qaeda detainees later confirmed that bin Laden had escaped Tora Bora into Pakistan via an easterly route through snow covered mountains in the area of Parachinar, Pakistan. He also claims that bin Laden could have been captured if United States Central Command had committed the troops that Berntsen had requested. Former CIA agent Gary Schroen concurs with this view ^[2]. Pentagon documents ^[3] seem to confirm this account. In an October 2004 opinion article in The New York Times, Gen. Tommy Franks wrote, "We don't know to this day whether Mr. bin Laden was at Tora Bora in December 2001. Some intelligence sources said he was; others indicated he was in Pakistan at the time...Tora Bora was teeming with Taliban and Qaeda operatives ... but Mr. bin Laden was never within our grasp." Franks, who retired in 2003, was the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan at the time. The last time Osama bin Laden was overheard on the radio was 14 December. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an intelligence agency of the United States government. ... Gary Berntsen is a decorated former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) career officer who spent 23 years with the agency between October 1982 and June 2005. ... Parachinar is the Capital of Kurram Agency, FATA, North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. ... Emblem of the United States Central Command. ... Gary Schroen worked for the CIA for over 20 years, rising from case officer to Deputy Chief, Near East Division, Directorate of Operations in 1999, a post he held through 2001. ... General Tommy R. Franks (USCENTCOM photo) Tommy Ray Franks KBE (born June 17, 1945) in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, is a retired General in the United States Army, previously serving as the Commander-in-Chief of United States Central Command, overseeing United States Armed Forces operations in a 25-country region, including...

Most of the enemy fighters made good their escape in the rough terrain and slipped away into the tribal areas of Pakistan to the south and east. It is estimated that around 200 of the al-Qaeda fighters were killed during the battle, along with an unknown number of anti-Taliban tribal fighters. No coalition deaths were reported. The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) are areas of Pakistan outside the four provinces, comprising a region of some 27,220 km² (10,507 mi²). // The FATA are bordered by: Afghanistan to the west with the border marked by the Durand Line, the North-West Frontier Province and the Punjab...

Aftermath

Following Tora Bora, U.S. and U.K. forces and their Afghan allies consolidated their position in the country. A Loya jirga or grand council of major Afghan factions, tribal leaders, and former exiles, an interim Afghan government was established in Kabul under Hamid Karzai. U.S. forces established their main base at Bagram airbase just north of Kabul. Kandahar airport also became an important U.S. base area. Several outposts were established in eastern provinces to hunt for Taliban and al-Qaeda fugitives. The number of coalition troops operating in the country would eventually grow to over 10,000. Meanwhile, the Taliban and al-Qaeda had not given up. Al-Qaeda forces began regrouping in the Shahi-Kot mountains of Paktia province throughout January and February of 2002. A Taliban fugitive in Paktia province, Mullah Saifur Rehman, also began reconstituting some of his militia forces in support of the anti-coalition fighters. They totalled over 1,000 by the beginning of Operation Anaconda in March 2002. The intention of the insurgents was to use the region as a base area for launching guerrilla attacks and possibly a major offensive in the style of the mujahedin who battled Soviet forces during the 1980s. Loya Jirga (June 13, 2002) Loya jirga, occasionally loya jirgah, is a large meeting held in Afghanistan, originally attended by Pashtun groups but later including other ethnic groups. ... Elections were held on 9th October 2004, to decide upon a leader of the new government. ... Hamid Karzai (Pashto: حامد کرزي, Persian: حامد کرزی) (b. ... Bagram Air Base is located near Charikar in Parvan, Afghanistan. ... Kandahar Airfield (or Kandahar International Airport) (IATA: KDH, ICAO: OAKN) is located 16 kilometers (10 miles) south-east of Kandahar, Afghanistan. ... A coalition is an alliance among entities, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest. ... Paktia province is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. ... Combatants  United States,  Canada,  United Kingdom,  New Zealand,  Australia,  Denmark,  France,  Norway,  Germany Taliban insurgents, al-Qaeda Commanders Buster Hagenbeck Unknown Strength 2,000 500-1,500 Casualties 8 U.S. servicemen dead, 82 wounded 500-800 [1] In early March 2002 the United States military, along with allied Afghan... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Combatants Afghanistan National Army NATO United States Taliban al-Qaeda Commanders Bismillah Khan Dan McNeill Mohammed Omar Mullah Dadullah† Casualties Coalition casualties: 496 killed, 1,000 wounded[1] Afghan security forces casaulties: 1100 killed, 125 captured 10,000+ killed, 2,000+ captured(est. ... Mujahideen (مجاهدين; also transliterated as mujāhidīn, mujahedeen, mujahedin, mujahidin, mujaheddin, etc. ... Combatants Soviet Union Democratic Republic of Afghanistan Afghan and foreign Mujahideen rebels supported by nations such as: United States, Peoples Republic of China, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran Commanders Soviet forces only Boris Gromov Pavel Grachev Valentin Varennikov Abdul Haq Jalaluddin Haqqani Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Mohammed Khalis Ismail Khan Ahmed Shah...

See Also

• Afghan Civil War
• Operation Anaconda
• Osama Bin Laden
• Jawbreaker: The attack on bin Laden and al-Qaeda: A personal account by the CIA's key field commander.
• War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Combatants  United States,  Canada,  United Kingdom,  New Zealand,  Australia,  Denmark,  France,  Norway,  Germany Taliban insurgents, al-Qaeda Commanders Buster Hagenbeck Unknown Strength 2,000 500-1,500 Casualties 8 U.S. servicemen dead, 82 wounded 500-800 [1] In early March 2002 the United States military, along with allied Afghan... Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden (Arabic: ‎; born March 10, 1957[1]), most often mentioned as Osama bin Laden or Usama bin Laden, is a Saudi Arabian militant Islamist and is widely believed to be one of the founders of the organization called al-Qaeda. ... Jawbreaker can refer to the following: A hard, usually round, candy that one sucks on. ... Combatants Taliban al-Qaeda IMU Hezbi Islami Afghanistan Northern Alliance United Nations: ISAF NATO, including: Canada United Kingdom Netherlands France United States Commanders Osama bin Laden Mohammed Omar Obaidullah Akhund Mullah Dadullah† Bismillah Khan Tommy Franks David Fraser Ton van Loon David Richards Dan McNeill Strength 12,000 claimed by...

References

Further references and reading

• Map and picture online from the Washington Post,10 December 2001

• The Long Hunt for Osama Peter Bergen - The Atlantic Monthly, Oct. 2004
• Tora Bora Bowman, John - CBC News Online, Dec. 2001

• The Tora Bora Fortress Myth? Epstein, Edward - Times of London, 29 November 2001

• Lost at Tora Bora Weaver, Mary Anne - the New York Times, 11 September 2005
• How bin Laden got away Smucker, Philip - The Christian Science Monitor, 4 March 2002