The Moral Argument for the War in Afghanistan: Then and Now » Afghanistan

The moral argument for the invasion and War in Afghanistan used to be that of liberal interventionism—the claim that intervening in the domestic politics of a country is justified if it delivered the people of that country from the clutches of illiberality and coercive governance. Further the claim went that if offered a chance, the people of that country would choose a liberal and free society, motivated by humane capabilities and free market trade and through their collective politics would deliver mutual advantage stability and security to the U.S. and its international allies, which would play well politically back home.

via afghanistan.foreignpolicyblogs.com