Taliban Takes Control of Afghanistan

Kabul, Afghanistan —(Map)

On Sunday, the Taliban took control of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital. The Taliban now controls the entire country. Many people are shocked at how quickly the Taliban defeated the Afghan army, and are worried about the future of the country’s people.

On Sunday, the Taliban took control of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital. The Taliban now controls the entire country. Many people are worried about the future of the country’s people. Above, Taliban fighters guard a government building in Kabul.

As the United States (US) and its allies began pulling their soldiers out of Afghanistan, the Taliban began launching attacks on villages and smaller cities. Soon, it attacked and took over even larger cities. In just a few weeks, the Taliban took control of all major cities in Afghanistan.

Kabul was the last to fall. On Sunday, as Taliban fighters began closing in on the city, the country’s president, Ashraf Ghani, left the country. Many other Afghans also raced to leave.

The situation in Kabul is intense. The US and its allies haven’t fully left Afghanistan. There are many embassy workers who are still trying to get out of the country.

On Monday, the airport was rushed by thousands of people who also hoped to get out of the country. Some people even grabbed onto planes as they were leaving, but fell to the ground as the planes took off.

For now, US soldiers have surrounded the airport and are working to make sure that planes can leave and people can get out.

Many people have huge concerns about the Afghan people who are left in the country. In the past, the Taliban dealt very harshly with anyone who worked with outsiders. Now there are tens of thousands of people who have worked with the US and its allies over the last 20 years.

There is a strong fear that if those people aren’t allowed to leave, the Taliban may mistreat, hurt, or kill them. Many people also worry that the women and girls of Afghanistan may be mistreated. Females were allowed education and far greater rights under the US-supported Afghanistan government.

Many people worry that the women and girls of Afghanistan may be mistreated under the Taliban. Females were allowed education and far greater rights under the US-supported Afghanistan government. Above Afghan girls in school in July.

But the Taliban says it’s offering “amnesty” – a willingness to forgive people who were on the other side of the conflict. The Taliban has also encouraged women to take positions in its new government. A Taliban leader was even interviewed on TV by a female reporter – something that would have never happened in the past.

Still, many people are nervous about Afghanistan’s future under the Taliban. The current situation is very different from what many expected. The US and its allies hoped that the Afghan government and army would be able to keep the Taliban under control, or at least might reach a peace deal that didn’t give the Taliban complete control.

The Taliban says it’s offering “amnesty” – a willingness to forgive people who were on the other side of the conflict. The Taliban has also encouraged women to take positions in its new government. Above, members of the Taliban talk with reporters on Tuesday.

In the US, many people are blaming President Joe Biden for the results of his decision to end the 20-year war. Mr. Biden said he was surprised at how quickly the Taliban took control, but he still believes pulling the US out of Afghanistan was the right decision.

The original reason for the fighting in Afghanistan was the Taliban’s support of terrorism. The Taliban says it won’t do this anymore. Many people will be watching closely to see whether the Taliban sticks to all the new promises it is making.