What’s Happening Now in Afghanistan?
- frontpageinitiative
- Oct 26, 2021
- 3 min read
On August 15th, 2021, the Taliban claimed the city of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. This takeover came two weeks before the full withdrawal of American forces in Afghanistan on August 31st, which was announced by President Joe Biden in July. This is not the first time that the Taliban, an Islamic military organization, has taken over Afghanistan. They were first removed by US forces in 2001, but the group has since regained their power, occupying Afghanistan in only a few short days. In response, Afghan president Ashraf Ghani fled the country, landing in the United Arab Emirates. He claims that he had left to prevent “a huge disaster” and is “currently in talks to return to Afghanistan.”
On the day that the Taliban finally settled in Kabul, thousands of people clung onto the evacuation airplane at Hamid Karzai International Airport, hoping to escape the country; many were afraid of what would become of the city under the Taliban’s rule. Sunil Varghese, a policy director at the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) said "The Biden administration must take immediate action to uphold our promise to protect the tens of thousands of Afghan allies and their families who are in imminent danger."
As the Taliban begin settling into their new rule, one of the primary concerns of the citizens is their treatment of women. The Taliban identify as a Sunni Islamist military organization; however, the Taliban’s interpretation of Islam’s teachings is considered by most to be quite extreme. During the Taliban’s previous rule of Afghanistan from 1996-2001, women were told not to get an education, not to leave their house, not to go outside unless they were escorted by a male, and not to be seen without a burqa. In an interview with BBC News, Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen said that women would be able to live their lives freely under Taliban rule. “They should not be scared,” he said. “Their right to education and work is there. We have a commitment to that.”
On August 26th, two explosions were set off near Hamid Karzai International Airport as the evacuation of Afghans continued. At least 95 people were killed, and 150 others wounded. The Pentagon confirmed 13 U.S. service personnel were among those killed. The explosions occurred near one of the airport’s entrances and the nearby Baron Hotel, respectively. U.S. officials have stated that one of the explosions may have been the result of a suicide bombing. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, wrote in a tweet, "The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns the bombing of civilians at Kabul airport, which took place in an area where U.S. forces are responsible for security."
Despite what occurred in Kabul, the U.S. government retained its August 31st deadline for American troops to depart from Afghanistan. To aid with the evacuation effort, they sent additional troops to Kabul. Many allies were concerned about the deadline being too tight, but on the last day of August, the United States completed their military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
After the U.S. military withdrawal, the Taliban have consecutively promised a more tolerant government system. Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special Afghan peace envoy, wrote on Twitter, “The Taliban now face a test. Can they lead their country to a safe & prosperous future where all their citizens, men & women, have the chance to reach their potential? Can Afghanistan present the beauty & power of its diverse cultures, histories & traditions to the world?”
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