Editing Operation Enduring Freedom (section)

==Etymology==
The U.S. government used the term "Operation Enduring Freedom" to officially describe the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]], from the period between 7 October 2001 and 31 December 2014.<ref name=OEFover/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.army.mil/article/140565/Operation_Enduring_Freedom_comes_to_an_end/ |title=Operation Enduring Freedom comes to an end |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=29 December 2014 |publisher=United States Army |access-date=28 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150224084435/http://www.army.mil/article/140565/Operation_Enduring_Freedom_comes_to_an_end/ |archive-date=24 February 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> Subsequent operations in Afghanistan by the United States' military forces, both non-combat and combat, occurred under the name [[Operation Freedom's Sentinel]].<ref name="Tilghman"/><!--It was also the name of a number of smaller military actions, under the umbrella of the Global "[[War on Terror]]" (GWOT), some of which remain ongoing.-->

The operation was originally called "Operation Infinite Justice", but as similar phrases have been used by adherents of several religions as an exclusive description of God, it is believed to have been changed to avoid offense to Muslims who are the majority religion in Afghanistan.<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1563722.stm |title=Infinite Justice, out – Enduring Freedom |work=BBC News |date=25 September 2001 |access-date=30 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014221506/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1563722.stm |archive-date=14 October 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> In September 2001, U.S. President [[George W. Bush]]'s remark that "this [[crusade]], this war on terrorism, is going to take a while," which prompted widespread criticism from the Islamic world, may also have contributed to the renaming of the operation.<ref name="BBC News" />

The term "OEF" typically refers to the phase of the War in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. Other operations, such as the [[Georgia Train and Equip Program]], are only loosely or nominally connected, such as through government funding vehicles.<ref name=HELPING-GEORGIA/> All the operations, however, have a focus on [[counterterrorism]] activities.

Operation Enduring Freedom, which was a joint U.S., U.K., and Afghan operation, was separate from the [[International Security Assistance Force]] (ISAF), which was an operation of [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] nations including the U.S. and the U.K.<ref>{{cite book|author=Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Defence Committee|title=The UK Deployment to Afghanistan: Fifth Report of Session 2005–06; Report, Together with Formal Minutes, Oral and Written Evidence|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q7-OVQvYUOUC&pg=PA39|year=2006|publisher=The Stationery Office|isbn=978-0-215-02828-0|page=39|access-date=17 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101094429/https://books.google.com/books?id=q7-OVQvYUOUC&pg=PA39|archive-date=1 January 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The two operations ran in parallel, although it had been suggested that they merge.<ref>{{cite book|author=David T. Zabecki PhD|title=Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History &#91;4 volumes&#93;|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rCWMBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA6|date=28 October 2014|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-59884-981-3|page=6|access-date=17 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101094429/https://books.google.com/books?id=rCWMBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA6|archive-date=1 January 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>