Slowly, slowly, then seemingly all at once. Just four months after President Biden announced he would withdraw the United States from Afghanistan, the Taliban has taken control of Kabul, almost 20 years since the group was ousted from power by NATO forces.
Few anticipated it would happen this fast. While there were warnings of a Taliban resurgence should the U.S. military withdraw, the past week has seen the group make stunning territorial gains, amassing control of the country with the seizure of one provincial capital after another, and then finally Kabul, in a sweeping surge over just nine days. The Afghan army, largely trained by U.S. forces but addled by exhaustion and corruption, was unable to hold the group back and, in many cases, walked away without firing a single shot.
Here's how the situation unfolded starting with Biden's announcement in April. Read more »
The situation in Afghanistan unraveled with quicksilver speed over the first three days of Biden's long-planned vacation, which he curtailed Monday to return to the White House to address the nation.
By Ashley Parker, Tyler Pager and Annie Linskey ●Read more »
