Fall of Kabul (2021)

For the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in 1996, see Battle of Kabul (1992–1996). For the fall of Kabul to the Northern Alliance and the United States, see Fall of Kabul (2001).

Fall of Kabul
Part of the 2021 Taliban offensive of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Date 15 August 2021 – present Location Kabul, Afghanistan Status Taliban Victory Taliban captured Kabul; talks underway for peaceful transition of power President Ashraf Ghani flees to Tajikistan Taliban claim they will soon declare an Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Evacuation of foreign embassies Officials flee to Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
Belligerents
Taliban	Afghanistan Non-military support: United States United Kingdom
Commanders and leaders
Abdul Ghani Baradar Suhail Shaheen	Ashraf Ghani (in exile) Joe Biden Boris Johnson
Units involved
Unknown	Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) Afghan National Army 201st Corps 111th Division

The fall of Kabul, also called the siege or surrender of Kabul, is the near-culmination of the 2021 Taliban offensive in the war in Afghanistan, which began in 2001. It reached a climax on 15 August 2021, when Taliban forces entered the capital city of Kabul, hours after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and abandoned the Afghan government. One-by-one the provincial capitals of Afghanistan had fallen in midst of a U.S. troop withdrawal to be completed by the end of August.

Tense negotiations are ongoing between a Taliban delegation and Afghan officials. A peaceful transfer of power has been requested by the Taliban, and the government has declared its willingness to abide. However, the government has requested that power be transferred to a transitional government, while the Taliban desires a complete transfer of power. NATO forces still maintained a presence in Kabul as well.

Background

Main article: 2021 Taliban offensive

The Taliban are a militant Islamic organization.

The Taliban and allied militant groups began a widespread offensive on 1 May 2021, simultaneous with the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Following its rapid defeat across the country, the Afghan National Army was left in chaos, and only two units remained operational by mid-August: The 201st Corps and 111th Division, both based in Kabul. The capital city itself was left encircled after Taliban forces had captured Mihtarlam, Sharana, Gardez, Asadabad, and other cities as well as districts in the east. In the days preceding the siege, the projection for the situation of Kabul rapidly worsened. U.S. officials brought a forecast in early August that Kabul could hold out for several months, but the week of the siege brought more grim forecasting; five days before the Taliban reached Kabul, expectations degraded and analysis suggested the capital would last "30 to 90 days", and within two days, officials were suggesting the city would fall within the week.

Evacuations, fighting, and negotiations

After the fall of Herat on 12 August, the U.S. and the U.K. governments announced the deployment of 3,000 and 600 of their troops respectively to the Kabul airport, in order to secure the airlifting of their nationals, embassy staff and the Afghan civilians who worked with the coalition forces out of the country. Officials said that the first deployment would occur in the next 24 to 48 hours, and that it would be completed by the end of the month.

Taliban control of Afghanistan prior to the siege of the capital city of Kabul

On 15 August, the Taliban command officially instructed its forces to halt their advance at the gates of Kabul, declaring that they would not seize the city by force, though the rebels entered its outskirts. Locals reported that Taliban fighters were advancing into the urban areas regardless of their leaders' official declarations. After some clashes, the insurgents reportedly captured the Pul-e-Charkhi prison, and released all inmates, including captured Daesh and Al-Qaeda militants. Taliban fighters raised their flag in several areas of the city, and pressured some police to hand over all their weaponry. Bagram Airfield and the Parwan Detention Facility, which held 5000 prisoners, also fell to the Taliban.

Amid the Taliban assault on the capital, U.S. military Boeing CH-47 Chinook and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and State Department Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters were sighted landing at the American embassy in Kabul to carry out evacuations as diplomats were reported to be rapidly shredding classified documents. Panic spread among the civilian population of the city, and many rushed to their homes or to the airport which remained government-held. The German government announced that it was sending Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft with a contingent of paratroopers for evacuations. The German government further stated that it would seek the required parliamentary approval once the mission was complete, due to the urgency of the situation. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced that his government had accepted an American request to serve as a transit hub for evacuees. The Italian government was reported to have transferred its embassy staff as well as the families of 30 Afghan employees to Kabul airport under Carabinieri guard to prepare for evacuation. The government of India was reported to have Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft prepared to evacuate Indian diplomatic staff, but had anticipated that it would take longer for the Taliban to capture Kabul.

The Afghan interior ministry in a statement said the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani decided to relinquish power and an interim government led by Taliban will be formed. Afterward, fighting died down, although many civilians remained fearful and holed up in their homes. By 11:17 CET, Taliban negotiators were reported to have arrived at the presidential palace to begin a transfer of power. Although negotiations were tense, the government declared its willingness to peacefully surrender Kabul to the rebels, and urged civilians to remain calm.

Later the same day, Afghan and Indian news reports claimed that Ashraf Ghani had left Afghanistan alongside Vice President Amrullah Saleh; both reportedly flew to Tajikistan. Kabul's presidential palace, the Arg, was evacuated by helicopters. Meanwhile, Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar arrived at the Kabul Airport to prepare the takeover of the government. At approximately 8:30 PM local time, reports emerged that the US embassy was taking fire. The embassy issued a declaration instructing US citizens in the area to shelter in place. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the embassy would be relocated to Kabul Airport. Various other nations announced plans to evacuate their embassies, including Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.

At 8:55 PM local time, the Taliban claimed that they had taken over the Arg which had been vacated by President Ghani earlier that day. Allegedly, all other palace employees were ordered to leave after Ghani left. At approximately 9:12 PM local time, it was reported that the Taliban would soon declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace, returning to the official symbolism of the Taliban government of 1996 to 2001.

At around 23:00 local time, Ghani posted on Facebook that he had fled in an attempt to avoid a blood battle and that "the Taliban have won with the judgement of their swords and guns".

Impact on civilians

Some locals, especially women, were fearful for the restoration of Taliban rule and some reported feeling betrayed. It was reported that the streets of Kabul were gridlocked with residents rushing toward the airport, with some abandoning their cars to make their way on foot through the traffic. Long queues were reported outside of the airport and foreign embassies, with residents waiting in the heat in the hopes of being able to secure visas or flights out of the country. A minority of residents celebrated the Taliban advance. The day before the fall, Afghanistan Policy Lab director Timor Sharan told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that "shopping in the city today, I felt people were gripped by a sense of being stuck; stuck in an uncertain future and never able to dream, aspire, think, and believe anymore."

Chadaree are sold in Afghanistan.

It was reported that sales of burqas (known as chadaree in Afghanistan) jumped in the days leading to the Taliban's arrival, with the price of one increasing from ؋200 to as much as ؋3,000, in fear that the Taliban would re-impose it as mandatory on women and would target women who refused. One Kabul woman told The Guardian that female students had been evacuated from their university dormitories before the Taliban could reach them and that university-educated women across the city were hiding their diplomas. Shops in the city were noted to have begun painting over and removing advertisements featuring women.

Residents reported a large increase in food prices. It was reported that a significant number of vendors in Kabul were attempting to liquidate their stocks in hopes of raising enough money to escape the country. Concerns have also been raised about the thousands of refugees who had fled Taliban advances elsewhere in the country and now found themselves stuck in Kabul.

Reactions

Catholic leader Pope Francis released a statement saying that he shared "the unanimous concern for the situation in Afghanistan" and called for prayers for peace.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai pressed publicly for a peaceful transition of power, promising he would remain in Kabul with his young daughters. Several Afghan officials placed the blame for the collapse at the feet of the Ghani government. Afghan National Reconciliation Council chair Abdullah Abdullah denounced Ghani's fleeing of the country, stating that "The former president of Afghanistan left Afghanistan, leaving the country in this difficult situation. God should hold him accountable." Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, former ANA chief of staff and interim Minister of Defence, tweeted "They tied our hands from behind and sold the country. Curse Ghani and his gang."

Governments

British parliamentary Foreign Affairs Select Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat stated that the collapse was "the biggest single policy disaster since Suez". Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he would be recalling parliament to debate the situation. In the afternoon of 15 August, the British cabinet held an emergency COBRA meeting, followed by a public statement from Johnson where he stated that the situation was "extremely difficult" and that "we've known for a long time this was the way things would go." Johnson further stated that the international community should not recognise the Taliban government and that it was necessary to "prevent Afghanistan lapsing back into being a breeding ground for terror." The French government announced that it would be holding an emergency Defence Council meeting on 16 August presided by President Emmanuel Macron to address the situation.

The Canadian government announced that it would be suspending its embassy operations in Afghanistan. Ann Linde, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, stated that the collapse of the Afghan government had "gone much faster than anyone had expected." Public broadcaster Sveriges Radio further reported that the Swedish embassy was evacuating its staff. Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg warned that "conflict and instability in the region will sooner or later spill over to Europe."

The Pakistani Foreign Minister stated "concern over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan" but said that Pakistan has no intention to close its embassy in Kabul. The European Union expressed concern of a possible migratory crisis though Margaritis Schinas, and U.S. President Joe Biden stated that the continuing presence of American troops in Afghanistan "would not have made a difference" if the Afghan military was unable to maintain control of the country. The Russian Embassy in Kabul stated that it would not evacuate or close the embassy, with a Taliban spokesperson guaranteeing the embassy's safety. The Russian government further stated that talks were underway to hold an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting to discuss the situation.

Businesses

United Arab Emirates airline Flydubai announced that it would suspend flights to Kabul on 16 August. A flight by Emirates Airlines to Kabul was diverted, and later returned to Dubai.

Evaluation

Fall of Saigon comparisons

External images
A widely shared image shows a helicopter landing in the US Embassy courtyard. The Army CH-47 Chinook evacuated diplomatic staff to Kabul airport as the city fell.
Many comparisons were drawn to a similar photo from the fall of Saigon In it, a Marine CH-46 Sea Knight landed on the embassy roof to evacuate the final Americans in Vietnam.

The events were compared by several commentators to the Fall of Saigon at the end of Vietnam War in April 1975. A month before the Taliban arrived in Kabul, American president Joe Biden had rejected the comparison, stating that "the Taliban is not the North Vietnamese Army... There's going to be no circumstance for you to see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy of the United States from Afghanistan. It is not at all comparable."

Reporters argued that these comments did not age well, as embassy staff burned documents and "helicopters were pictured hovering above the compound, shuttling diplomats to the airport" less than a month later. Lawrence Chambers, who had given the order to push helicopters off the USS Midway during Operation Frequent Wind to make way for more evacuee aircraft from Saigon to land, stated that "what is happening now is worse than what happened in Vietnam", elaborating, "[In Vietnam] we tried to get out as many people who worked with us as we could... In Afghanistan, we are abandoning the folks who supported us while we were there." Journalist Nick Turse argued that "without a true reevaluation this time around, the U.S. risks falling into well-worn patterns that may, one day, make the military debacles in Southeast and Southwest Asia look terribly small."

On the day the Taliban entered Kabul, American secretary of state Antony Blinken continued to reject the comparison to Saigon, stating on an ABC This Week interview that "this is manifestly not Saigon. We went into Afghanistan 20 years ago with one mission in mind, and that was to deal with the people who attacked us on 9/11, and that mission has been successful." Despite the city's fall, 5,000 U.S. troops remained in the city along with some U.S. embassy personnel. It was also confirmed that NATO troops were still present at the Hamid Karzai International Airport.

See also

• 2021 Taliban offensive
• Operation Pitting and Operation Allies Refuge
• Battle of Kabul (1992–1996)
• Fall of Kabul (2001)
• Ghost soldiers
• Fall of Saigon
• Fall of Phnom Penh
• Battle of Sanaa (2014)