Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force, Operation Enduring Freedom with Afghanistan without Text - Ladies TanktopOperation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U. S. government for the Global War on Terrorism. On 7 October 2001, in response to the September 11 attacks, President George W. Bush announced that airstrikes targeting Al Qaeda and the Taliban had begun in Afghanistan. Operation Enduring Freedom primarily refers to the War in Afghanistan, but it is also affiliated with counterterrorism operations in other countries, such as OEF