What on Earth is going on in Afghanistan? Should we be worried?

[SparklesandGold]

I’ve read all the news reports about Afghanistan but I don’t really understand them apart from the fact that the Taliban are taking control of the country. How has this happened?

I’ve also seen it could see Al-Qaeda becoming stronger. Does this mean an attack on the scale of 9/11 could happen?

Am I worrying too much or what is going on here?

It is incredibly worrying.

I read there are 18,000 people with a valid special US visa who are legally allowed to leave the country, but now the Taliban are controlling the access roads to the capital, so they have no way of leaving.

There are not enough flights to evacuate those who already have all their paperwork in order. The Taliban have announced only foreign citizens are allowed to leave.

Embassies are trying to evacuate staff, planes are turning around mid-air. The cities they’ve been occupying are not putting up a fight because they probably know it would be useless.

I worry for children and women trapped there, and all the families who oppose the Taliban regime and refuse to hand over their young girls to be married off to fighters, and the young boys to become fighters themselves.

You should be very worried for the many people there who will be murdered, raped or have their livelihoods taken away, be orphaned and generally descend into miserable poverty without breadwinners. And the thousands of them who helped the uk, us, Australian And presumably other troops there who have been betrayed and left to die.
You are probably quite safe in your home for now though! It’s such grim news.

Yes I'm very worried.

For the women and children of Afghanistan. For all ordinary people there, who just want to live their lives in peace, most of whom have never really known proper peace. It's absolutely heartbreaking.

And yes I can't see that it's in our interests to allow the taliban to regain control.

It's terrifying on so many levels and I can't believe that 20 years after 9/11, this is how it's ended up.

Op maybe worry about the civilians trapped in Afghanistan

I’m worried about the poor Afghan people that don’t want to live under a taliban regime .

How has this happened?

Biden has withdrawn US troops. We have had little choice but to do the same as can't continue without US support. Taliban have taken over at speed that few predicted. It's a monumental mistake by Biden.

The US pulled their forces out of Afghanistan meaning the back up their own army was receiving is now gone. Now the taliban have been attacking the Afghan army who without US backup are struggling to keep control. Its just awful, it almost makes the whole war absolutely pointless and all casualties etc suffered to date for nothing.

I just don’t understand all the years of effort to try and stabilise and help Afghanistan to just withdraw and let things revert virtually straight back ??

Women are already losing their jobs and being replaced by men. Women and girls suffered awfully at the hands of the Taliban before. It's going to be utterly awful for them to have to go back to that.

There seems to be surprisingly little information on the news about how the Taliban comes to be so well funded and so well organised. They're not just a random bunch of fighters.

Why is this question not being vigorously pursued on news media? Cutting off some of their sources of income and exposing support from other countries would be a start.

Awful, awful situation.

@campion

There seems to be surprisingly little information on the news about how the Taliban comes to be so well funded and so well organised. They're not just a random bunch of fighters.

Why is this question not being vigorously pursued on news media? Cutting off some of their sources of income and exposing support from other countries would be a start.

Awful, awful situation.

Yes. How are they funded? Who is selling them their weapons?

I am absolutely worried for the people of Afghanistan. Why can’t these bunch of cowards let people live their lives?

It’s like that scene in the handmaids tale (tv show) when we see June losing her job and bank account and marriage being dissolved as a divorcee, only far, far worse.

It’s terrifying and devastating. The guardian has a testimony from a woman in Kabul hiding with her children and she could be a mumsnetter.

www.google.ie/amp/s/theconversation.com/amp/the-taliban-are-megarich-heres-where-they-get-the-money-they-use-to-wage-war-in-afghanistan-147411

They have the Afghan Army's weapons and vehicles and it's rumoured a steady supply of Russian artillery.

It's the women I feel despair for, any enhancement they had in the last twenty years will be gone but they will be punished.
Examples will be made.

Just conversed with a Freind of mine in Kabul right now , expat worker whose organisation have worked so hard for years and achieved so much in terms of education, women’s rights and rebuilding a destroyed infrastructure .

She is posting on social media still but has said she thinks it will be closed down soon . As I understand from her even our British Embassy staff are in shock with how events are escalating

I lived in this part of the world for many years and was there 20 years ago. My job and social life bought me into contact with many contractors/ security professionals etc working to rebuild after the horrors of taliban rule . Afghanistan is a beautiful country with some incredible scenery , rich in culture and what I can only describe as “ good , kind , proud , generous people “ It’s also rich in valuable resources and I have no doubt there was a level of corruption the American government was fully aware of .

I think the pp who uses the handmaidens tale as a parallel is spot on
2 excellent “ fiction “ books that I really recommend are “ The kite runner “ ( also made into a film ) and the beautifully written “ A Thousand Splendid Suns “ both by Khaled Hosseini . Both share the true horror of what went on under Taliban rule before , especially for women and children.
The thought of the reprisals Afghan interpreters for example will face turns my blood cold .

I agree strongly with pp who asks “ who is funding the taliban “ .. sadly I suspect many powerful members of the international community will be far from welcoming and supportive of our press getting strongly behind this .