(2007-1631-F) Afghanistan

The materials in FOIA 2007-1631-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. The records processed in response to this FOIA request concern Afghanistan and its association with terrorism from 1994 through the end of the Clinton Administration. Following the toppling of the communist, Soviet-backed regime of President Mohammad Najibullah in 1992, a civil war erupted between the various factions in the newly constituted Islamic State of Afghanistan. The constant state of lawlessness, instability, and poverty in Afghanistan created a haven for militant and terrorist organizations. Former mujahideen fighter Mullah Mohammed Omar founded one such militant Islamist group, the Taliban, in 1994. By 1997, the Taliban had control of the government of Afghanistan. Terrorist groups thrived under Taliban protection, most notably Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda organization. Because of the Taliban’s continued support for terrorism, relations with the United States government deteriorated throughout the 1990s. In 1998, in response to Al-Qaeda’s attack on the American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the Clinton Administration conducted airstrikes against terrorist facilities in Afghanistan and Sudan. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, a U.S.-led coalition overthrew the Taliban. Records that address in detail the Taliban and its relationship to Usama bin Laden are located in other FOIA collections. Rather, the materials processed in response to this FOIA request focus on the general climate of terrorism in Afghanistan and the response of the international community to the issue. The National Security Council (NSC) cables, emails, and Records Management System numbered documents contain records concerning United Nations resolutions regarding the deteriorating conditions in Afghanistan, the impact of the Taliban’s rule on Central Asia, foreign press coverage of the proliferation of terrorist groups, international meetings on the situation, and reaction to the 1998 airstrikes. Furthermore, there is correspondence from Congress and interest groups urging the Clinton administration to take actions to stop the spread of terrorism from Afghanistan. The majority of these records related to this FOIA case are closed for national security reasons. For further research on terrorism in Afghanistan, see: 2006-0191-F 9/11 Commission Report 2006-0228-F Osama bin Laden 2006-1131-F National Security Council Meetings on Afghanistan/the Taliban, 1998-2001 2006-1164-F Terrorism 2007-1596-F Embassy Bombings/Airstrikes Against Afghanistan and Sudan.