The Base Camp of Global Terrorism

An early look into the conflict that would become known as Operation Enduring Freedom.

To most Americans, the global war on terror started on September 12th, 2001; the day after terrorists hijacked four planes and killed all onboard, plus thousands more. Officially, the term was used by former President George Bush the following week, and by October, boots were on the ground in Afghanistan (where they remain to this day).

This map, published by Newsweek that same month, provides a clearly slanted geopolitical and strategic overview of the region. Military installations and suspected terrorist camps are identified according to the accompanying legend and a brief history of the country is provided at the bottom. Accompanying text is charged and looks even more biased with 20 years of hindsight.