The Islamist group, Taliban, has made tremendous gains in Afghanistan, even after President Biden promised that the United States Forces’ departure would not be hasty. A misjudgment on the President’s part. The Taliban has quickly taken control of military posts, towns, and major cities after the collapse of the Afghan forces. But the most remarkable gain has been its Kabul takeover this Sunday-A move that completed the Taliban’s national takeover.
As if President Joe Biden had recently sent 3000 troops to Afghan in anticipation, the troops were to ensure the safe evacuation of the American Embassy in Kabul and Afghan civilians that have supported the US. Even then, there were fears that Kabul could soon collapse, and perhaps it is for this reason that the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the nation, just hours after the Taliban arrived on the outskirts of Kabul. Ashraf said he fled to avoid any more bloodshed in Afghanistan.
After the takeover on Sunday, the Taliban declared that the Afghanistan war was over. The Taliban then patrolled the streets of Kabul in celebration. As a result of this takeover, civilians flooded the airport, wanting to flee the country. The civilians feared the Taliban rule and wanted to get as far away as possible. At the same, nations were busy evacuating their diplomats from the war-torn country. The desperation was palpable as people tried to enter the planes meant for diplomats forcefully after commercial flights stopped. The Chaos at the airport has led to the death of five people. Some videos have emerged, showing several men and youths hanging from a military C-17 aircraft in an attempt to escape Taliban rule.
In an attempt to disperse the crowd, the US troops in charge of the airport fired into the air, and as seen in another video, a helicopter flew low, hoping to disperse the crowd, many more Afghan and foreign diplomats.
The Taliban’s spokesperson political office has said that the Taliban would announce leadership from the presidential palace at a later time. He also said that the Taliban would ensure the safety of all diplomats and Afghans. They were open to dialogue with all political forces- Something that does little to comfort Afghans who remain stranded at the airport wanting to flee still.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-taliban-us-news-08-16-21/index.html
Anthony Tilghman, is an 3x Award-winning Photojournalist, Education advocate, Mentor, and Published Author with years of experience in media, photography, marketing and branding. He is the Winner of the 2020, 2021 & 2023 Dateline award for Excellence in Local Journalism.