this Taliban After the last U.S. plane left the runway, it took full control of Kabul’s international airport on Tuesday, marking the end of the longest U.S. war and leaving behind a now quiet airport and Afghan Outside it still hopes to escape the rule of the rebels.
The vehicles ran back and forth along the only runway of Hamid Karzai International Airport on the northern military side of the airport. Before dawn, heavily armed Taliban fighters passed through the hangar on the military side, passed some of the seven CH-46 helicopters used by the State Department for evacuation, and then rendered them unable to fly.
The Taliban leaders later walked the runway symbolically, marking their victory.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in a live broadcast released by an militant: “The world should learn its lesson. This is a happy moment of victory.”
Since the Taliban swept Afghanistan and occupied Kabul on August 15, chaos has appeared at the airport. Thousands of Afghans surrounded the airport, and some fell to their deaths after desperately hanging on the side of a U.S. C-17 military cargo plane. Last week, the Islamic State launched a suicide attack at the airport gate, killing at least 169 Afghans and 13 American soldiers.
But on Tuesday, after a night after seeing Taliban fighters firing into the air triumphantly, the guards on duty now sleepyly shut out curious people and those who still hope to catch the plane.
“Twenty years later, we defeated the Americans,” said Mohammad Islam, a Taliban guard from Logar Airport, holding a Kalashnikov rifle in his hand. “They left, and now our country is free.”
He added: “It is clear that we want what we want. We want Sharia (Islamic law), peace and stability.”
Mohammad Naeem, a spokesman for the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, also praised the acquisition in an online video earlier on Tuesday.
“Thank God, all the occupiers have completely left our country,” he said, calling them jihadists or holy fighters to congratulate them. “This victory is given to us by God. This is due to the 20 years of sacrifices made by the jihadists and their leaders. Many jihadists have sacrificed their lives.”
The U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad, who is responsible for overseeing negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban, wrote on Twitter that “Afghans are faced with a moment of decision and opportunity after their withdrawal.”
“The future of their country is in their hands. They will choose their own path under full sovereignty,” he wrote. “This is also an opportunity to end their war.”
As the U.S. ends its withdrawal from Afghanistan, Canadian advocates turn to the Pakistani border
But as the Taliban completely take over the government of the country, they may face a series of major crises. Most of Afghanistan’s multi-billion-dollar foreign exchange reserves are now frozen in the United States, thereby putting pressure on its depreciating Afghan currency. Banks have implemented withdrawal controls, worrying about running on deposits amidst uncertainty. Civil servants across the country said they have not received their wages for several months.
Medical equipment is still in short supply, and thousands of people who fled the Taliban’s attack are still living in filthy conditions. The severe drought has also reduced the country’s food supply, making imports more important, and increasing the risk of people going hungry.
According to the White House, during the evacuation, the U.S. military helped evacuate more than 120,000 American citizens, foreigners, and Afghans. This was the largest airlift in the history of the U.S. military. The coalition forces also evacuated their citizens and Afghans. But for all those who fled, foreign countries and the United States admitted that they did not evacuate all those who wanted to leave.
At the east gate of the airport, a few Afghans are still trying their luck, hoping for a flight. However, as of now, commercial airlines have not flown to the airport, and it is not clear who will take over the country’s airspace. On their way out, the U.S. military warned pilots that the airport was “uncontrolled” and that “no air traffic control or airport services were available.”
Some of those trying to enter the airport came from Kandahar Province, the heart of the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, where some of the most intense wars have taken place. One of them, Hekmatullah, had a name like many Afghans. He was holding a document, and he said it indicated that he was an interpreter.
Hikmatura said that he waited four days before he had a chance to leave.
“But now I don’t know what chance I have,” he said.
Associated Press writer Jon Gambler contributed to this report in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
© 2021 Canadian Press
