After fleeing the nation, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said the Taliban had won as the they marched into Kabul, nearly 20 years after they were deposed by a US-led assault. Mr. Ghani fled as Taliban closed in on the capital, eventually invading the city and seizing the presidential palace, completing a 10-day military victory across the country. The Taliban have made a fast rush across the country, with government forces crumbling without the help of the US military, which is completing its pullout in accordance with President Joe Biden’s August 31 deadline. The Taliban’s impending takeover generated fear and panic among Kabul citizens, who feared the group’s strict version of Islam, which it imposed during its tenure from 1996 to 2001.
Mr Ghani wrote in a Facebook statement, his first after the escape that the Taliban have triumphed, and they are now responsible for the honour, property, and self-preservation of their compatriots. He said, “They’re now up against a new historical challenge. Either they will protect Afghanistan’s reputation and honour, or they will prioritise other locations and networks,” he stated, adding that he left to avoid a “flood of murder”.
A Taliban spokesman acknowledged that they had invaded numerous neighbourhoods in Kabul to “guarantee security,” after first ordering fighters not to approach the city. Videos shared on pro-Taliban social media sites showed the group’s heavily armed members waving white flags and greeting civilians in cities around the country. Taliban fighters had taken control of the presidential palace, according to three top Taliban sources, and were holding a security meeting in the capital. Inside the palace, fighters declared themselves “victorious.” Mr. Ghani’s resignation was one of the Taliban’s main demands during months of peace talks with the government. The Taliban have stated that they want a “peaceful transition” to take place in the next days.
According to certain diplomatic sources, Ali Ahmad Jalali, a US-based academic and former interior minister, may be nominated as the interim president of Kabul. However, it is unclear what kind of temporary arrangement the militants desire. There is also no certainty that the talks for a peaceful power transition would be successful.
“The best-case scenario is for the Taliban and the government to achieve an agreement, for Kabul to remain peaceful. This will open the way for a ceasefire and other actions to end the violence in the future “According to Nasrullah Stanakzai, a lecturer at the University of Kabul. However, Raihana Azad, an Afghan parliamentarian, fears that even if negotiations are successful, the Taliban will not “follow their word.” After signing an agreement with the US in February 2020, the Taliban were accused of not keeping their half of the bargain.
“The government has no choice than to hand authority over to the Taliban,” he explained. However, there is still a chance, albeit small, that Afghan leaders in Kabul may attempt to maintain control. In that case, Islamists may attempt a military takeover of Kabul from Afghan forces. “There will be slaughter if the Taliban attack Kabul. There will be more civilian deaths, and Afghanistan’s future will be uncertain “Azad remarked.
US President Joe Biden, who has been chastised for retreating so rapidly from Afghanistan, has stated repeatedly that Afghan leaders must defend their country. However, if the Taliban strike Kabul, a city with a population of over 6 million people, there could be a large number of civilian casualties. Would the US then intervene in the fight, even if only to keep the peace in Kabul? “I believe the US will not support Ghani since the Afghan government is no longer capable of defending Kabul,” US spokesperson Saidi explained.
The United States has been heavily chastised for leaving Afghanistan prematurely and without a comprehensive peace agreement between all Afghan players. After Biden announced a unilateral withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in February, the Taliban were able to capture many provinces. At the time, American leaders said that Afghan forces could defend the country from the Taliban.
“We had been pleading with the Afghan government and the international community to secure our city for months, but no one listened,” Halima Sadaf Karimi, a politician from the northern Jawzjan province, has been quoted as saying.