In an article published in the Foreign Policy magazine, aptly entitled “The Taliban are winning”, I predicted in 2015 that the taking of Kunduz was a dry run for the ultimate taking of Kabul. The lightning advances of the Taliban in the past several weeks stunned many Afghan observers, US and international policymakers, and intelligence analysts — I wasn’t one of them. The Taliban came roaring back to Kabul, 20 years after they were dethroned by the US forces in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack. Ironically, the Taliban flag would be hoisted on Kabul on the 20th anniversary of the most horrific attacks on US soil.
US-backed President Ashraf Ghani fled to the UAE, Rashid Dostum and Atta Noor fled to Uzbekistan, and millions would be fleeing to neighbouring countries in the coming weeks and months. Worried Afghans have seen this movie several times in the past four decades. Afghanistan has been pushed back to darkness, yet again.
Images of shocked Kabul residents hanging on to the fuselage of a US C-17 military plane taxing on the Hamid Karzai International Airport are being watched in disbelief. The plane, with a capacity of 300 people, carried 800 people on board. The utter chaos at the Kabul Airport would be haunting the US and western policymakers for a long time to come, as terrorised residents try to flee the country.