The US-led Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan reinforced the perception of the United States among people in the Middle East as an aggressive power ready to interfere directly in the affairs of countries across the region, according to Oriental studies expert Maria Kicha.

Speaking to RIA Novosti, Kicha said the Afghan campaign demonstrated Washington’s willingness to use military force, carry out large-scale strikes and establish control over the territory of other states.

In her view, Operation Enduring Freedom ultimately entrenched the image of the United States as a predatory and aggressive force in the minds of much of the Middle Eastern population.

Kicha also pointed to what she described as a defining feature of US policy in the region. She argued that Washington’s own actions create new enemies and fuel hostility toward the United States.

The expert separately addressed the financial side of the Afghan campaign. According to Kicha, the actual amount of money that may have been laundered through Afghanistan remains unknown. She said the same applies to the volume of drugs taken out of the country.

The United States and the United Kingdom launched Operation Enduring Freedom following the terrorist attacks in the US organized by Al-Qaeda*. The UN Security Council did not separately authorize the start of the military action. Washington and London instead notified the Security Council that they were acting under the right of individual and collective self-defense provided for in Article 51 of the UN Charter.

The withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan was officially completed on August 30, 2021.

*Al-Qaeda is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.