Taliban take over Afghanistan: What we know and what's next

The Taliban have seized power in Afghanistan two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly twodecade warThe insurgents stormed across the country capturing all major cities in a matter of days as Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the US and its allies melted awayHeres a look at what happened and what comes nextWHAT IS HAPPENING IN AFGHANISTANThe Taliban a militant group that ran the country in the late 1990s have again taken controlThe USled invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 ousted the insurgents from power but they never left After they blitzed across the country in recent days the Westernbacked government that has run the country for 20 years collapsed Afghans fearing for the future are racing to the airport one of the last routes out of the countryWHY ARE PEOPLE FLEEING THE COUNTRYTheyre worried that the country could descend into chaos or the Taliban could carry out revenge attacks against those who worked with the Americans or the governmentMany also fear the Taliban will reimpose the harsh interpretation of Islamic law that they relied on when they ran Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 Back then women were barred from attending school or working outside the home They had to wear the allencompassing burqa and be accompanied by a male relative whenever they went outside The Taliban banned music cut off the hands of thieves and stoned adulterersThe Taliban have sought to present themselves as a more moderate force in recent years and say they wont exact revenge but many Afghans are skeptical of those promisesWHAT HAPPENED AT THE KABUL AIRPORTThousands of Afghans rushed there hoping to escape the country because they fear what the Talibans rule will bring Some were so desperate they clung to the side of a military jet as it took off and then plunged to their deaths US troops used helicopters to try to disperse the crowds and fired warning shots in the air At least seven people died in the chaos US officials saidWHY ARE THE TALIBAN TAKING OVER NOWProbably because US troops are set to withdraw by the end of the monthThe US has been trying to get out of Afghanistan its longest war for several years nowAlso ReadIndia very important in dealing with Afghan crisis says UKAmerican troops ousted the Taliban in a matter of months when they invaded to root out alQaida which orchestrated the 911 attacks while being harbored by the Taliban But it proved more difficult to hold territory and rebuild a nation battered by repeated warsAs the US focus shifted to Iraq the Taliban began to regroup and in recent years took over much of the Afghan countrysideLast year thenPresident Donald Trump announced a plan to pull out and signed a deal with the Taliban that limited US military action against them President Joe Biden then announced that the last troops would leave by the end of AugustAs the final deadline drew close the Taliban began a lightning offensive overrunning city after cityWHY DID THE AFGHAN SECURITY FORCES COLLAPSEThe short answer CorruptionThe US and its NATO allies spent billions of dollars over two decades to train and equip Afghan security forces But the Westernbacked government was rife with corruption Commanders exaggerated the number of soldiers to siphon off resources and troops in the field often lacked ammunition supplies or even foodTheir morale further eroded when it became clear the US was on its way out As the Taliban rapidly advanced in recent days entire units surrendered after brief battles and Kabul and some nearby provinces fell without a fightWHAT HAPPENED TO THE PRESIDENT OF AFGHANISTANHe fledPresident Ashraf Ghani hunkered down and made few public statements as the Taliban swept across the country On Sunday as they reached the capital he left Afghanistan saying he had chosen to leave to avoid further bloodshed Its not clear where he wentWHAT HAS BIDEN SAIDBiden called the situation in Afghanistan ldquogutwrenchingrdquo but rejected blame for whats happening While he acknowledged that the collapse of the Afghan government happened much more quickly than he anticipated he said he stood ldquosquarely behindrdquo his decision to pull US troops outWHY ARE PEOPLE COMPARING AFGHANISTAN TO THE FALL OF SAIGONThe Fall of Saigon to North Vietnamese forces in 1975 marked the end of the Vietnam War It became an enduring symbol of defeat after thousands of Americans and their Vietnamese allies were airlifted out of the city on helicopters US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has rejected any comparisons to Afghanistan saying ldquoThis is manifestly not SaigonrdquoWHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT IN AFGHANISTANIts not clearThe Taliban say they want to form an ldquoinclusive Islamic governmentrdquo with other factions They are holding negotiations with senior politicians including leaders in the former governmentThey have pledged to enforce Islamic law but encouraged women to join their government and say they will provide a secure environment for the return of normal life after decades of warBut many Afghans distrust the Taliban and fear that their rule will be violent and oppressive One sign that worries people is that they want to rename the country the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan which is what they called it the last time they ruledWHAT DOES THE TALIBAN TAKEOVER MEAN FOR WOMENMany fear it could mean a severe rollback of rightsAfghan women have made major gains since the overthrow of the Taliban Many are worried they will once again be confined to their homes The Taliban have said they are no longer opposed to women attending school but have not set out a clear policy on womens rights Afghanistan remains an overwhelmingly conservative country especially outside major cities and the status of women often varied even under Taliban ruleWILL THE TALIBAN ONCE AGAIN HARBOR ALQAIDAThats anyones guess but American military officials are worriedIn the peace deal signed with the United States last year the Taliban pledged to fight terrorism and prevent Afghanistan from again becoming a base for attacks But the US has little leverage to enforce thatTechnological advances over the last 20 years allow the United States to target suspected militants in countries like Yemen and Somalia where it does not have a permanent troop presence The Taliban paid a heavy price for their role in the Sept 11 attacks and likely hope to avoid a repeat as they seek to consolidate their ruleBut earlier this year the Pentagons top leaders said an extremist group like alQaida may be able to regenerate in Afghanistan and officials are now warning that such groups could grow much faster than expectedAfghanistan is also home to an Islamic State group affiliate that has carried out a wave of horrific attacks targeting its Shiite minority in recent years The Taliban have condemned such attacks and the two groups have fought each other over territory but it remains to be seen whether a Taliban government will be willing or able to suppress ISThis story has been 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