Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban spokesman in Qatar, tells NPR's Steve Inskeep about the group's plans for the country, which he says include allowing people to leave and no reprisals against enemies.
Zainab filled all the forms for a special immigrant visa but now can only watch as the Americans leave Afghanistan. Eight thousand miles away, all her husband can do is hope.
President Biden gave the order last week to send U.S. troops into Afghanistan as it became clear the Taliban were overrunning Afghan government forces on their way to taking the capital of Kabul.
The Pentagon has set a goal of evacuating 9,000 people a day from the country. Those coming to the U.S. need assistance, as do those remaining in Afghanistan.
It's been two decades since the Taliban had full control of Afghanistan. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly spoke to historian Carter Malkasian about who's running the Taliban now — and who's funding them.
President Biden addressed the nation after images from the airport in the Afghan capital showed desperate people fleeing before the Taliban advance. He said he stands by his decision to withdraw.
The simple question of whether the U.S. should stay or go was not simple at all. Now Biden's determination to leave Afghanistan has resulted in a bigger mess than he bargained for.
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.
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.
