The president flees the country and the U.S. retreats, leaving the Taliban in control
Pictures of the airport raid at Afghanistan at the end of August made headlines around the world. Image Source: New York Times
As the US withdrew their special forces from Afghanistan to meet their August 31st deadline, the Afghan president fled in terror as the Talibans came to reclaim what was once theirs. The Talibans came in swiftly and strongly, and civilians searched for a rapid way of fleeing the country eventually causing a riot at the airport; people were hanging from planes that were taking off- an unforgettable and gut-wrenching sight. Many died, many more were left in fear, and in less than a week, Afghanistan was turned into a battlefield full of terror and mourning.
It must be terrible to see your country go downhill and return to what it once was before the U.S. intervened. The Afghan capital of Kabul had been “controlled” by the US troops for 20 years, when their war on terror began. Supposedly, the Afghan army would continue defending the capital against the Taliban, the Islamist religious-political movement and military organization that so many people fear. Instead, the Taliban had no difficulty taking over a country that was left fatherless and in chaos. They surprised the world by acting quick and “securing the bag”, we can say.
The most recent reports state that there have been 2 suicide bombing attacks, taking many lives of both U.S. troops that were still stationed there and Afghan citizens. These bombings took place in the airport displayed above. In the first attack, there were 60 Afghan casualties and 13 U.S. casualties; 18 U.S. troops were left severely injured. This development has prompted angry replies from around the world, and everyone is watching the U.S. closely to see what their next move will be.
In my opinion, this was a very tragic event to witness. The amount of problems going on in the Middle East were already enough, and this just adds to the situation. It's sad because it could’ve been done peacefully but instead, people resorted to violence. Even though I believe this was sad and unnecessary, all we can do is wait and see what will happen next.