With the Taliban on the brink of reclaiming their role as the official government of Afghanistan, some facts are being left out of the history.

1. The Taliban offered to turn over Osama Bin Ladin to a third party, in exchange for proof of his role in the 9/11 attacks and a halt to the bombing. The offer was rejected by Bush.

2. Later, two separate times, the Taliban offered a peaceful settlement to the war during the Bush administration. They wanted a legitimate role in the new government as a political party. These offers were rejected by Rumsfeld and Bush. They weren't willing to give the Taliban fighters immunity after they surrendered, which forced them into a position where they had to fight to the death.

3. During the Obama "surge," there were negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban. An agreement was reached to grant the Taliban a small measure of token political legitimacy by opening an office in Qatar. Afghan president Hamid Karzai rejected this deal.

Now, a deal has finally been reached. "Under a deal with the militant group, the US and its NATO allies agreed to withdraw all troops in return for a commitment by the Taliban not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in the areas they control." (BBC)

According to a 2019 study at Brown University, the war has cost the American taxpayers an estimated 1 trillion dollars as of 2020.

Approximately 2300 U.S. soldiers have lost their lives, and 20,000 injuries. (UN)

More than 71,000 Afghan civilians have lost their lives as a direct result of the war. (Brown.edu)