<span>The Spanish American War of 1898 took place in the island
nations of Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. The Americans were able to defeat the Spanish
in the Battle of Manila Bay. They scored
wins against the Spanish in Cuba with the Battle of San Juan Hill. Americans had difficulty in Puerto Rico as
both sides had difficulty during the fighting that came to an end when an
armistice was signed. Later the Treaty
of Paris was signed on December 10, 1898
and the war came to an end. The U.S.
gained the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico.
The Americans also establish a naval bay at Guantanamo Bay.</span>
In the sentence, "to harbor" mean to provide protection to somebody. The actual meaning of harbor refers to a place where ships and boats can be docked in the water. There is no water body or ocean present around Afghanistan so the actual meaning of harbor does not apply. So that's why the harbor word is used for giving protection.
