Taliban forces seized Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, on Sunday, as the
Western-backed government collapsed. That same day, President Ashraf Ghani fled


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Taliban Declares War Over Following U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan

 

(New York, N.Y.) – Taliban forces seized
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Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, on Sunday, as the Western-backed government
collapsed. That same day, President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Given the
severity of the situation, the Pentagon authorized another 1,000
troops—expanding their security presence on the ground to 6,000 troops—to help
evacuate U.S. citizens and all U.S. personnel. By Monday morning, the American
flag was lowered and removed from the U.S. Embassy.

 

“The total collapse of Afghanistan places America and its allies in a highly
dangerous position. The Taliban and al-Qaeda remain allies, and it is almost
certain that al-Qaeda will once again enjoy a safe haven to plot attacks
abroad,” said Counter Extremism Project (CEP) CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace.

 

“America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan made the Taliban’s takeover inevitable.
Nevertheless, President Biden must now prioritize evacuating our allies from
the country, including the interpreters and locally employed staff who served
bravely alongside our troops and our diplomats,” Wallace continued.

CEP Executive Director David Ibsen commented
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in theSunday Express on the situation saying, “The desire to bring our troops
home and ‘No More Forever Wars’ after such a long-term commitment in
Afghanistan is hugely appealing. But we must understand the
consequences…According to a UN Security Council report in June, the Taliban
remains ‘closely aligned’ with al-Qaeda…Support for the terrorists will only
increase after foreign troops withdraw. We can expect the country to once more
become a breeding ground for extremist ideas, and a training ground for
militants looking to export terror.”

By August 13, the Taliban controlled 17 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial
capitals and more than two-thirds of the country. On August 15, President Ghani
fled Afghanistan and thousands of Afghans poured into Kabul’s airport as
Taliban fighters entered the city. By August 16, the Taliban had laid siege to
the presidential palace and took complete control of Kabul, after which the
Taliban declared the war in Afghanistan had ended.

 

To read the CEP’s Afghanistan resource, please click here
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To read CEP’s Taliban resource, please click here
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