Bush, with Congressional approval, authorized the attack on Afghanistan, which began on October 7, 2001. “Operation Enduring Freedom” sought to crush the Taliban government in Afghanistan, which had given safe haven to the al-Qaeda regime. Initially, the war in Afghanistan was successful in the sense that the Taliban regime was toppled and some members of al-Qaeda captured. However, the war has dragged on and its popularity has waned, as U.S. casualties have risen.