287 Why did they go to war in Afghanistan?

This blog: 

I have just seen a recent documentary by Ben Anderson:
 "This is what winning looks like". ( Youtube: Full length, part 1, part 2, part 3. ) 

A very very short synopsis:
It looks desparate.  The police who are to take over after 2014, are drugged, corrupt, illiterate, inadequate and cruel to young boys that they use as sex slaves.
The Taliban sometimes have more respect from the locals. These locals can do not much else than 'cooperate' with  the people in power: one time the Taliban, the next week the police. You cannot blame them for this.
The real crime is that the US installed a corrupt government, so what can you expect.  The title 'This is what winning looks like' is a quote from one of the high ranked Americans, but it is obviously a terrible lie.  Ben Anderson sees all American soldiers to be terribly disillusioned, and many  of them suffer  when they come back home.
The doc. is a bit slow, but effective, and every 5 minutes you see Ben Anderson being interviewed shortly by a collegue, which helps understanding of the information a lot.  Definitely worth the 1,5 hours.

But now I want to ponder the question:  What were the motivations of the USA to invade Afghanistan. 

Here are a few possibilities, and I will put a cipher on it to indicate the percentage that it contributed to the decision to invade: 

1. Trying to catch Osama bin Laden. 0%

Mullah Omar offered to deliver Osama if he would get a fair trial.  This was the best and cheapest way to catch Osama: better have 25 million Afghans helping to search Osama, instead of having 25 million Afghans trying to let him escape.   
Secr. of State of Pakistan:  Plans to invade were known before 911. ( Niaz Niak)

2. Boosting the 'War on Terror'" - concept. 
Make Terror into a serious and big problem. 15%.
President Reagan and the Taliban: ( Founding Fathers) 

3. Controle over the oil and gas that is produced in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The Taliban did visit the USA about 6 months before the invasion, but the deal was never made. Famous words were spoken then by the Americans, something like : 'You accept the deal or we will cover you with bombs.' Which is what happened. 25%
( Roberty Fisk: it was the oil. )
( Larry Chin: it was the oil) 

4. Profits for the military-industrial-complex: the money goes from the taxpayer to the industry. 25%
See how military spending boomed after 911: 

( Dave Manuel )  ( Sibel Edmonds ) ( More Sibel Edmonds:)


5. To take the controle over heroine trade away from the Russians, and to raise the production of heroine, as it was lowered dramatically by the Taliban in 2001.
25%. 

( Wikipedia)  ( Guardian) ( Peter Dale Scott ) ( US planes for heroine transport )
( Kevin Fenton ) 

6. Creating a more modern, democratic country.  0%
Cannot be done by supporting a corrupt regime. 

7. Creating another muslim Failed State.  10 % 
Now these not very friendly Taliban are even more popular with the Afghans than the Americans !