The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan began October 7 , 2001 , with an air campaign . Last month 's turban bomb assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani , revered by many as a father of the Mujahideen movement that ousted the Soviets in the 1980s , appears to have dealt the biggest blow to the peace process . More than 2,700 American troops have died during the war , according to a 2006 count . Of those killed , 1,780 are American , 382 are British and 100 are Canadian , according to the count . The U.S. and most NATO nations have announced plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by 2014 .
The U.S.-led war in Afghanistan began October 7 , 2001 , with an air campaign . More than 2,700 American troops have died during the war , according to a 2006 count . Of those killed , 1,780 are American , 382 are British and 100 are Canadian , according to the count . The U.S. and most NATO nations have announced plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by 2014 .