The American-installed government of Afghanistan collapsed Sunday as the Taliban completed their offensive across the country and stormed into the capital city of Kabul. The victory brought a somber conclusion to America's longest war, which began in 2001 — and Georgia-based veterans react to the news.
"Whatever happens in the coming days, we hold true to the idea that women can and should help shape the future of Afghanistan," said one nonprofit, as alarm rises about the Taliban takeover.
NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Rangina Hamidi, Afghanistan's acting minister of education, about what it's like on the ground in Kabul during the Taliban's latest military surge in the country.
Images from the ground show hundreds if not thousands of Afghans crowding the airport, including the tarmac, in an apparent attempt to flee the country.
Monday on Political Rewind: Georgians awoke this morning to news of the swift collapse of the government of Afghanistan. The end of the war now presents a humanitarian crisis. It has also become a raging partisan political matter, sure to play a role in the 2022 election cycle.
In a sudden, final offensive, the Taliban pushed into Kabul, as Afghanistan's U.S.-backed president left the country and U.S. diplomatic personnel beat a quick retreat from the embassy compound.
As Taliban forces continue a sweeping offensive and are nearing the capital, trust in Afghanistan's government is dwindling despite the Afghan president's vow to prevent further instability.
It's not clear if the Taliban will be able to seize control of the entire country, but the speed of their advance has many inside and outside the country alarmed at the prospect.
About 80% of those affected by the Taliban offensive are women and children, according to the U.N. The situation has "all the hallmarks of a humanitarian catastrophe," one official said.
A memo obtained by NPR lays out the emergency preparations being made by American diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul — including the destruction of sensitive documents and computers.
Journalist Peter Bergen visited bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, before it was demolished. His new book, The Rise and Fall of Osama bin Laden, draws on materials seized in the raid.
The prospect of a Taliban takeover has people inside and outside Afghanistan worried about a return to an oppressive past. As the U.S. nears a full withdrawal, those fears are rapidly growing.
