Diplomatic Support for Operation Enduring Freedom

In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, President Bush declared a global war on terrorism. The opening phase of the war, Operation Enduring Freedom, sought to eliminate the al Qaeda terrorists and infrastructure in Afghanistan and to remove the Taliban government that had hosted them.

In order to launch and sustain Operation Enduring Freedom, a number of critical diplomatic measures were undertaken with neighboring countries to facilitate the flow of U.S. military forces to the region and to ensure that tactical operations could be conducted effectively for as long as necessary. These measures included:

• Rapid conclusion of bilateral Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs) necessary to provide legal protections for U.S. military personnel deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
• Rapid conclusion of bilateral Defense Cooperation and Base Access Agreements necessary to provide U.S. Forces with the ground facilities needed to carry out tactical operations.
• Assistance to Allies in securing similar agreements for their troops.
• Arrangement of expedited overflight/landing agreements and procedures with countries conveniently situated to sustain the flow of logistical and other support for Operation Enduring Freedom. Other countries were asked to make their ports available for Operation Enduring Freedom shipping.
• Coordination of the formal acceptance of the many military assets offered by other countries for use in Operation Enduring Freedom's operations.
• Coordination of the U.S. Government’s positive response to a number of military and humanitarian tasks in Afghanistan including support for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the establishment of the Afghan Transitional Authority, the creation of the Afghan National Army, and civil reconstruction.
• In addition to Operation Enduring Freedom's military operations in Afghanistan, the Department provided assistance to the Department of Defense in securing the cooperation of other countries for U.S. Maritime Interception Operations in the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Sea that were designed to disrupt the activities of terrorist groups.

To ensure the close coordination of Operation Enduring Freedom's activities, the Department has had an action team on duty 24 hours a day since the early hours of September 12, 2001.