Dropping Bombs and Bread in Parallel

Thirteen days after the 11 September 2001 (9-11) terrorist attacks, President Bush added a unique piece of strategic guidance to the upcoming military strikes that would soon occur against AI Qaeda and the Taliban targets inside Afghanistan. At a 24 September 2001 National Security Council meeting, President Bush said the following: "I want a humanitarian aid drop in the north and the south. I want it coordinated with the military. Can we have the first bombs we drop be food?" This statement effectively instigated a new model for food drops-the Afghan food-drop model.