‘We’re in charge now’: Taliban take control as last US soldiers fly out
But Afghan civilians tell Arab News they fear for the future under militant rule
Taliban fighters fired celebratory gunshots into the air on Tuesday as they took full control of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the last US troops ended the country’s 20-year war.
“It is a historic day and a historic moment,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. “We are proud of these moments, that we liberated our country from a great power.”
An image from the Pentagon taken with night-vision optics showed the last US soldier to board the final evacuation flight out of Kabul — Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division.
“There’s a lot of heartbreak associated with this departure,” said Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command.
“We did not get everybody out that we wanted to get out. But I think if we’d stayed another 10 days, we wouldn’t have gotten everybody out.”
Since returning to power, the Taliban have vowed to form an “allinclusive government,” respect
women’s rights, offer an amnesty to those who fought them, and ensure Afghanistan did not become a haven for terrorists.
The assurances, however, have done little to allay civilians’ fears, with many feeling that while the US had left the country, Afghanistan now faced many new challenges.
Mohammad Ibrahim, 35, a shopkeeper in Kabul, told Arab News: “There is nothing special about today. Banks are not working, we have no money, and there is no government to respond to the needs of Afghan citizens.”
He said he had concerns over the “critical state” of the economy and its impact on his livelihood. “Earlier, I would sell at least 5,000 items per day, but now I can sell only 500.”