Students at the two local universities plan events Wednesday night marking the 8th anniversary of the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

A 6:30 p.m. documentary at Illinois State University and a 7 p.m. candlelight vigil at Illinois Wesleyan University are both free and open to the public.

The U.S. invasion was launched after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to defeat the Taliban and rid al-Qaida of a home base.

But the war has lasted longer than envisioned and President Obama increasingly is facing opposition to the U.S. presence there.

Obama, who inherited the war when he took office last January, is examining how to proceed with a worsening combat situation that has claimed nearly 800 U.S. lives and sapped American patience.

Student groups at ISU will host a 6:30 p.m. screening of "Rethinking Afghanistan," a documentary about the war. The film will be shown in Schroeder Hall Room 130. ISU students who are Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans will lead a panel discussion after the movie.

The film examines U.S. military presence in that country, and how an increased presence could affect Pakistan and the surrounding region, the cost of the war, civilian casualties and the rights of Afghan women.

The event is sponsored by Illinois State's Global Review program in conjunction with the grassroots action and lobbying organization Brave New Foundation.

Meanwhile, at 7 p.m. on the Illinois Wesleyan University quad, there will be a candlelight vigil honoring soldiers and civilians killed in the conflict. The group will gather behind Holmes Hall -- outside Sheen Hall, the former school library.

The IWU chapter of Amnesty International is hosting the event.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.