Western technocrat. Would-be populist. Wartime president. Ashraf Ghani tried to inhabit many roles during his years as Afghanistan’s president. But after fleeing the Taliban’s advance into Kabul this weekend, Ghani — wherever he is — is stepping into a far less welcome role: that of a failed leader whose hasty escape from Kabul scuttled negotiations … Read more
Around noon, in a school in Qallai Fatulla area of Kabul, the principal called the teachers and asked them to leave for their homes. He had just heard that the Taliban had reached the city, and did not want the teachers, especially the women, to stay back and get stuck. The principal, a 62-year-old and … Read more
Kabul, the ultimate prize in every Afghanistan war, fell to the Taliban Sunday, completing their takeover of the country in a lighting offensive that saw provinces and warlords give up without a fight, days after the hasty withdrawal of US troops. President Ashraf Ghani, sources said, had fled the country, hours after Pakistan-backed Taliban fighters … Read more
Taliban insurgents have entered Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul on Sunday and according to various news agencies, President Ashraf Ghani has left the city for Tajikistan, capping the militants’ lightning push for power. Amid panic and concerns, various nations are involved in hurried evacuations of their citizens from Afghanistan. India has put in place contingency … Read more
Taliban fighters entered Kabul on Sunday and sought the unconditional surrender of the central government, officials said, as Afghans and foreigners alike raced for the exit, signalling the end of a 20-year Western experiment aimed at remaking Afghanistan. The beleaguered central government, meanwhile, hope for an interim administration, but increasingly had few cards to play. Civilians … Read more
