Final answer:
The policy to support and arm groups that included individuals like Osama bin Laden began under President Jimmy Carter in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and these groups later included Al-Qaeda. Post-9/11, President George W. Bush launched Operation Enduring Freedom targeting Al-Qaeda, but U.S. military focus shifted from Afghanistan to Iraq during the War on Terror.
Step-by-step explanation:
The policy to equip and arm guerrillas like Osama bin Laden was a strategy that began during the Cold War, particularly under the presidency of Jimmy Carter, in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The U.S. supported the mujahideen, a group of Islamist insurgents, which included individuals like Osama bin Laden who would later form the terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. After the Soviet withdrawal, the US role in Afghanistan waned. When the September 11 attacks occurred, orchestrated by bin Laden, President George W. Bush launched Operation Enduring Freedom to remove the Taliban from power and pursue Al-Qaeda members. However, as the War on Terror progressed, focus shifted from Afghanistan to Iraq based on beliefs that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was involved in the 9/11 plot and possessed weapons of mass destruction.