Final answer:
Operation Enduring Freedom commenced after the September 11 attacks perpetrated by Al-Qaeda. With the Taliban refusing to surrender Osama bin Laden, the U.S. launched military operations to overthrow the Taliban, dismantle Al-Qaeda, and subsequently support the Afghan government. The focus later shifted to Iraq with the initiation of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
Step-by-step explanation:
The events leading up to Operation Enduring Freedom were primarily a consequence of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, carried out by the extremist group Al-Qaeda. Under the leadership of Osama bin Laden, who was granted asylum in Afghanistan by the Taliban regime, Al-Qaeda planned and executed the attacks. Post-9/11, the United States, under President George W. Bush, demanded that the Taliban hand over bin Laden. When the Taliban failed to comply, the U.S. initiated military action against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda strongholds in Afghanistan.
In October 2001, the U.S. commenced the operation by launching air strikes, followed by a ground invasion that successfully removed the Taliban from power and dismantled Al-Qaeda's training camps. Although bin Laden managed to evade capture, the U.S. established a significant military presence in Afghanistan to support the new government led by President Hamid Karzai and to continue counterinsurgency efforts against the Taliban. Eventually, focus shifted as the Bush administration launched another military campaign called Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, with the belief, despite controversial and conflicting evidence, that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was connected to the 9/11 attacks and harboring weapons of mass destruction.