== Semi-protected edit request on 16 August 2021 ==

{{Short description|2021 Taliban capture of Kabul}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

{{For multi|the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in 1996|Battle of Kabul (1992–1996)|the fall of Kabul to the Northern Alliance and the United States|Siege of Kabul (2001)}}

{{ongoing||ongoing military offensive|date=August 2021}}

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Fall of Kabul

| partof = the [[2021 Taliban offensive]] of the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)]]

| image = Fall_of_Kabul.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = US Military evacuating officials from Kabul.

| date = 15 August 2021

| place = [[Kabul]], [[Afghanistan]]

| territory =

| result =

| status = Taliban victory:

* [[Taliban]] capture Kabul

* President [[Ashraf Ghani]] flees [[Afghanistan]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 August 2021 |title=Afghan president flees the country as Taliban move on Kabul |url=https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-bagram-e1ed33fe0c665ee67ba132c51b8e32a5|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=AP NEWS|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815120025/https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-bagram-e1ed33fe0c665ee67ba132c51b8e32a5|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 August 2021 |title=Afghan President Ghani leaves country – reports |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-58219963|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=BBC News|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815163037/https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-58219963|url-status=live}}</ref>

* The [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]] is disestablished

* The [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]] is re-established

* Evacuation of foreign embassies

* Government officials escape to [[India]], [[Pakistan]], [[Tajikistan]] and [[Uzbekistan]]

| combatant1 = {{flagdeco|Afghanistan|Taliban}} [[Taliban]]

| combatant2 = {{flagicon|Afghanistan}} [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]]<br />''Non-military support:''<br />{{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]{{efn|group=infobox|[[Operation Allies Refuge]]}}<br />{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]{{efn|group=infobox|[[Operation Pitting]]}}

| commander1 = {{nowrap|{{flagdeco|Afghanistan|Taliban}} [[Hibatullah Akhundzada]]<br>{{flagicon|Afghanistan|Taliban}} [[Abdul Ghani Baradar]]<ref name="eco" />}}<br />{{flagicon|Afghanistan|Taliban}} [[Suhail Shaheen]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/15/taliban-enter-kabul-from-all-sides |title='At the gates': Taliban ready to take Afghan capital|url-status=live|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815081408/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/15/taliban-enter-kabul-from-all-sides}}</ref>

| commander2 = {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Afghanistan}} [[Ashraf Ghani]] (''in [[exile]]'')<ref>{{cite news |last1=Batchelor |first1=Tom |title=Afghan president Ashraf Ghani flees capital Kabul for Tajikistan as Taliban enter city |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/central-asia/afghanistan-taliban-ashraf-ghani-flee-b1902917.html |access-date=15 August 2021 |work=[[The Independent]] |date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815164417/https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/central-asia/afghanistan-taliban-ashraf-ghani-flee-b1902917.html |url-status=live}}</ref>}}<br />{{flagicon|United States}} [[Joe Biden]]<br />{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Boris Johnson]]

| units1 = Unknown

| units2 = [[Afghan National Security Forces]] (ANSF)

* [[Afghan National Army]]

** [[201st Corps (Afghanistan)|201st Corps]]<ref name="lwj14">{{cite news |last=Roggio |first=Bill |title=Taliban encircling Afghan capital Kabul, prepping final assault through east |url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/08/taliban-encircling-afghan-capital-kabul-prepping-final-assault-through-east.php |publisher=FDD's Long War Journal |date=14 August 2021 |access-date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=14 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814180839/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/08/taliban-encircling-afghan-capital-kabul-prepping-final-assault-through-east.php |url-status=live}}</ref>

** 111th Division<ref name="lwj14" />

| strength1 =

| strength2 =

| casualties1 =

| casualties2 =

| casualties3 =

| notes =

| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Afghan War}}

}}

[[Kabul]], the capital city of [[Afghanistan]], fell to [[Taliban]] forces on 15 August 2021 in the culmination of [[Taliban offensive 2021|a military offensive that began in May 2021]] against the Afghan government. The capture took place hours after [[President of Afghanistan|President]] [[Ashraf Ghani]] fled the country and abandoned the [[Afghan presidential palace|city’s presidential palace]]. Most of the [[Afghan province|provincial]] capitals of Afghanistan [[2021 Taliban offensive|had fallen]] one after the other in the midst of a [[Withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan (2020–2021)|U.S. troop withdrawal]] that was to be completed by the end of August.

Tense negotiations are ongoing between a Taliban delegation and Afghan officials, although it appears unlikely that they will end in anything less than an unconditional surrender by the government. <ref name="guardian15">{{Cite news |last1=Mistlin |first1=Alex |last2=Sullivan |first2=Helen |last3=Harding |first3=Luke |last4=Harding |first4=Luke |last5=Borger |first5=Julian |last6=Mason |first6=Rowena |date=15 August 2021 |title=Afghanistan: Kabul to shift power to 'transitional administration' after Taliban enter city – live updates |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/aug/15/afghanistan-taliban-close-in-on-kabul-as-last-government-stronghold-in-north-falls|access-date=15 August 2021 |issn=0261-3077|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815103044/https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/aug/15/afghanistan-taliban-close-in-on-kabul-as-last-government-stronghold-in-north-falls|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.garda.com/crisis24/news-alerts/513486/afghanistan-heavy-fighting-ongoing-on-the-outskirts-of-kabul-as-of-early-aug-15-a-total-blackout-reported-in-the-city |title=Afghanistan: Heavy fighting ongoing on the outskirts of Kabul as of early Aug. 15; a total blackout reported in the city|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815010510/https://www.garda.com/crisis24/news-alerts/513486/afghanistan-heavy-fighting-ongoing-on-the-outskirts-of-kabul-as-of-early-aug-15-a-total-blackout-reported-in-the-city|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> A [[peaceful transfer of power]] has been requested by the Taliban,<ref name=":0" /> and the government has declared its willingness to abide.<ref name="faz15" /> However, the government has requested that power be transferred to a [[transitional government]], while the Taliban insists upon a complete transfer of power, despite the government's concerns.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 August 2021 |title=Taliban officials: there will be no transitional government in Afghanistan |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-officials-there-will-be-no-transitional-government-afghanistan-2021-08-15/|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=Reuters|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815160956/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-officials-there-will-be-no-transitional-government-afghanistan-2021-08-15/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[NATO]] forces still maintained a presence in Kabul as well.<ref name=natoairport />

== Background ==

{{Main|2021 Taliban offensive}}

[[File:Taliban fighters during 2021 offensive.png|thumb|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 (Afghanistan)|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, Afghanistan|Asadabad]], and other cities as well as districts in the east.<ref name="lwj14" /> In the days preceding the fall, 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 fall brought more grim forecasting; five days before the Taliban reached Kabul, expectations degraded and analysis suggested the capital would last "30 to 90 days",<ref name="3090est">{{cite news |last1=Lamothe |first1=Dan |last2=Hudson |first2=John |last3=Harris |first3=Shane |last4=Gearan |first4=Anne |title=U.S. officials warn collapse of Afghan capital could come sooner than expected |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2021/08/10/afghanistan-intelligence-assessment/ |access-date=11 August 2021 |work=The Washington Post |date=10 August 2021 |archive-date=11 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811030221/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2021/08/10/afghanistan-intelligence-assessment/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and within two days, officials were suggesting the city would fall within the week.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 August 2021 |title=Taliban expected to reach Afghan capital Kabul 'in seven days', ITV News learns |url=https://www.itv.com/news/2021-08-13/taliban-expected-to-reach-afghan-capital-kabul-in-seven-days-itv-news-learns|access-date=14 August 2021 |website=ITV News|archive-date=14 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814203109/https://www.itv.com/news/2021-08-13/taliban-expected-to-reach-afghan-capital-kabul-in-seven-days-itv-news-learns|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Evacuations, fighting, and negotiations ==

After the fall of [[Herat]] on 12 August, the U.S. and [[United Kingdom|U.K.]] governments announced the deployment of 3,000 and 600 of their troops respectively to the Kabul airport, in order to secure the [[airlift]]ing of their nationals, embassy staff and the Afghan civilians who worked with the coalition forces out of the country. Officials{{clarify|of which side?}} said that the first deployment would transpire in the next 24 to 48 hours and that it would be completed by the end of the month.{{cn}}

[[File:Afghanistan map taliban advances.webp|thumb|299x299px|Taliban control of [[Afghanistan]] prior to the fall 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Afghanistan Live Updates: Taliban Advances on Kabul; U.S. Embassy Evacuation Underway |url=https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/15/world/taliban-afghanistan-news |work=The New York Times |date=15 August 2021 |access-date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815101652/https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/15/world/taliban-afghanistan-news |url-status=live}}</ref> Locals reported that Taliban fighters were advancing into the urban areas regardless of their leaders' official declarations.<ref name="guardian15" /><ref name="faz15">{{cite news |title=Afghanische Regierung kündigt friedliche Machtübergabe an |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/afghanistan-taliban-starten-angriff-auf-kabul-17485836.html |publisher=FAZ |date=15 August 2021 |access-date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815094623/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/afghanistan-taliban-starten-angriff-auf-kabul-17485836.html |url-status=live}}</ref> After some clashes, the insurgents reportedly captured the [[Pul-e-Charkhi prison]], and released all inmates, including captured Daesh and Al-Qaeda militants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-afghan-prisoners-isis-al-qaeda-fighters-freed-by-taliban-2021-8?r=US&IR=T|title=Video shows thousands of prisoners, reportedly including Islamic State and al Qaeda fighters, freed from Kabul jail by the Taliban|first=Sophia|last=Ankel|date=15 August 2021|website=[[Business Insider]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815201952/https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-afghan-prisoners-isis-al-qaeda-fighters-freed-by-taliban-2021-8?r=US&IR=T|archive-date=15 August 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> Taliban fighters raised their flag in several areas of the city, and pressured some police to hand over all their weaponry.<ref name="guardian15" /> [[Bagram Airfield]] and the [[Parwan Detention Facility]], which held 5000 prisoners, also fell to the Taliban.<ref name="guardian15" /><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/afghan-forces-surrender-bagram-air-base-to-taliban/articleshow/85347683.cms |title=Afghan forces surrender Bagram air base to Taliban |newspaper=The Economic Times|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184748/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/afghan-forces-surrender-bagram-air-base-to-taliban/articleshow/85347683.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/08/15/1027806863/the-taliban-seize-jalalabad-cutting-off-kabul-to-the-east |title=Taliban Fighters Enter Kabul As Helicopters Land At U.S. Embassy |website=NPR.org|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815113718/https://www.npr.org/2021/08/15/1027806863/the-taliban-seize-jalalabad-cutting-off-kabul-to-the-east|url-status=live}}</ref> Panic spread among the civilian population of the city, and many rushed to their homes or to the airport which remained government-held.<ref name="guardian15" /><ref name="voa15">{{cite news |last1=Tanzeem |first1=Ayesha |last2=Gul |first2=Ayaz |title=Reports: Taliban Enter Kabul |url=https://www.voanews.com/us-afghanistan-troop-withdrawal/reports-taliban-enter-kabul |publisher=VOA |date=15 August 2021 |access-date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815094935/https://www.voanews.com/us-afghanistan-troop-withdrawal/reports-taliban-enter-kabul |url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Germany sending A400M planes for Kabul evacuation – Bild am Sonntag |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/germany-sending-a400m-planes-kabul-evacuation-bild-am-sonntag-2021-08-15/?rpc=401& |publisher=Reuters |date=15 August 2021 |access-date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184800/https://www.reuters.com/world/germany-sending-a400m-planes-kabul-evacuation-bild-am-sonntag-2021-08-15/?rpc=401 |url-status=live}}</ref> Albanian Prime Minister [[Edi Rama]] announced that his government had accepted an American request to serve as a transit hub for evacuees.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/albania-ready-temporarily-house-afghan-refugees-pm-rama-says-2021-08-15/ |title=Albania ready to temporarily house Afghan refugees, PM Rama says |work=Reuters |date=15 August 2021|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815101820/https://www.reuters.com/world/albania-ready-temporarily-house-afghan-refugees-pm-rama-says-2021-08-15/|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/latest-pope-calls-solutions-peace-afghanistan-79464829 |title=The Latest: Afghan leaders form council to meet Taliban |website=ABC News|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184742/https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/latest-pope-calls-solutions-peace-afghanistan-79464829|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-preps-to-evacuate-envoys-citizens-still-in-afghanistan-as-taliban-enters-kabul-101629048201232.html |title=India preps to evacuate envoys, citizens still in Afghanistan as Taliban enters Kabul |date=15 August 2021 |website=Hindustan Times|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184745/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-preps-to-evacuate-envoys-citizens-still-in-afghanistan-as-taliban-enters-kabul-101629048201232.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Afghan president to abdicate after Taliban entered Kabul: Sources |url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/08/15/Taliban-begin-offensive-on-Kabul-Interior-Ministry |access-date=15 August 2021 |work=Al Arabiya English |date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815074007/https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2021/08/15/Taliban-begin-offensive-on-Kabul-Interior-Ministry |url-status=live}}</ref> Afterward, fighting died down, although many civilians remained fearful and holed up in their homes.<ref name="guardian15" /> By 11:17 CET, Taliban negotiators were reported to have arrived at the presidential palace to begin a transfer of power.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghan-official-tells-ap-taliban-negotiators-heading-presidential-79464790 |title=Afghan official tells AP that Taliban negotiators heading to presidential palace to prepare for a 'transfer' of power |website=ABC News|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815101537/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghan-official-tells-ap-taliban-negotiators-heading-presidential-79464790|url-status=live}}</ref> Although negotiations were tense, the government declared its willingness to peacefully surrender Kabul to the rebels,<ref name="faz15" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=15 August 2021 |title=Taliban enter Kabul, await 'peaceful transfer' of power |url=https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-bagram-e1ed33fe0c665ee67ba132c51b8e32a5|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=AP NEWS|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815120025/https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-bagram-e1ed33fe0c665ee67ba132c51b8e32a5|url-status=live}}</ref> and urged civilians to remain calm.<ref name="voa15" />

Later the same day, Afghan and Indian news reports claimed that Ashraf Ghani had left Afghanistan<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/ashrafghani.af |title=Archived copy |access-date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728081735/https://www.facebook.com/ashrafghani.af |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=President Ashraf Ghani Flees Afghanistan, Taliban Take Over Kabul: Report |url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/taliban-enter-afghan-capital-kabul-news-agency-afp-2510885 |access-date=15 August 2021 |work=NDTV.com |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815081516/https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/taliban-enter-afghan-capital-kabul-news-agency-afp-2510885 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Amid Taliban blitz, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani flees country: Report |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/amid-taliban-blitz-afghan-president-ashraf-ghani-flees-country-report-121081500749_1.html |access-date=15 August 2021 |work=Business Standard India |date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184745/https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/amid-taliban-blitz-afghan-president-ashraf-ghani-flees-country-report-121081500749_1.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=اشرف غنی افغانستان چھوڑ کر چلے گئے: افغان میڈیا کا دعویٰ |url=https://www.urdunews.com/node/591661 |access-date=15 August 2021 |work=Urdu News – اردو نیوز |date=15 August 2021 |language=ur |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184751/https://www.urdunews.com/node/591661 |url-status=live}}</ref> alongside Vice President [[Amrullah Saleh]]; both reportedly flew to Tajikistan.<ref>{{cite news |title=اشرف غنی مستعفی، افغانستان سے فرار |url=https://www.humnews.pk/latest/340513/ |access-date=15 August 2021 |work=ہم نیوز |date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184826/https://www.humnews.pk/latest/340513/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Kabul's presidential palace, the [[Arg (Kabul)|Arg]], was evacuated by helicopters. Meanwhile, Taliban co-founder [[Abdul Ghani Baradar]] arrived at the Kabul Airport to prepare the takeover of the government.<ref name="eco">{{cite news |title=The Taliban's terrifying triumph in Afghanistan |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/15/the-talibans-terrifying-triumph-in-afghanistan |publisher=Economist |date=15 August 2021 |access-date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815173110/https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/15/the-talibans-terrifying-triumph-in-afghanistan |url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Afghanistan crisis: President Ghani flees country |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-asia-58219963|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=BBC News|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815163031/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-asia-58219963|url-status=live}}</ref> [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Antony Blinken]] announced that the embassy would be relocated to [[Kabul Airport]] amid fears of Taliban [[barbarism]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Mistlin |first1=Joanna Walters (now); Alex |last2=Murray |first2=Jessica |last3=Sullivan (earlier) |first3=Helen |date=15 August 2021 |title=Afghanistan president, Ashraf Ghani, reported to have left country as Taliban orders fighters to enter Kabul – live |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/aug/15/afghanistan-taliban-close-in-on-kabul-as-last-government-stronghold-in-north-falls?page=with%3Ablock-611913ef8f08aeaec2f1fc63|access-date=15 August 2021 |issn=0261-3077|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184814/https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/aug/15/afghanistan-taliban-close-in-on-kabul-as-last-government-stronghold-in-north-falls?page=with%3Ablock-611913ef8f08aeaec2f1fc63|url-status=live}}</ref> Various other nations announced plans to evacuate their embassies, including [[Spain]], [[Germany]], the [[United Kingdom]], and [[Netherlands|the Netherlands]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 August 2021 |title=Germany closes Kabul embassy and rushes evacuation of citizens, local helpers |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/germany-sending-a400m-planes-kabul-evacuation-bild-am-sonntag-2021-08-15/|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=Reuters|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815140436/https://www.reuters.com/world/germany-sending-a400m-planes-kabul-evacuation-bild-am-sonntag-2021-08-15/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mellen |first=Ruby |date=14 August 2021 |title=Here are the countries evacuating their embassies in Kabul as the Taliban advances |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/14/afghanistan-embassies/|url-status=live|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=The Washington Post|archive-date=14 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814220615/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/14/afghanistan-embassies/}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Afghanistan crisis: President Ghani flees country |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-asia-58219963|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=BBC News |archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815163031/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-asia-58219963|url-status=live}}</ref> 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 [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001)|Taliban government of 1996 to 2001]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Afghanistan crisis: Taliban is soon to declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan |url=https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-bagram-e1ed33fe0c665ee67ba132c51b8e32a5 |website=AP News |date=15 August 2021 |access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815120025/https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-bagram-e1ed33fe0c665ee67ba132c51b8e32a5|url-status=live}}</ref>

At around 23:00 local time, Ghani posted on Facebook that he had fled in an attempt to avoid a bloody battle and that "the Taliban have won with the judgement of their swords and guns".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/taliban-has-won-says-afghan-president-ghani-as-militants-enter-kabul-1020148.html|title=Taliban has won, says Afghan President Ghani as militants enter Kabul|work=Deccan Herald|date=16 August 2021}}</ref>

== Impact on civilians ==

Some locals, [[Taliban treatment of women|especially women]], were fearful for the restoration of Taliban rule and some reported feeling betrayed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghan-woman-kabuls-dashed-hopes-amid-taliban-blitz-79467598|title = An Afghan woman in Kabul's dashed hopes amid Taliban blitz|work=ABC News|first=Aya|last=Batrawy|date=15 August 2021|access-date=15 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=13 August 2021 |title=Afghan war: Kabul's young women plead for help as Taliban advance |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58205062|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815043806/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58205062|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite over a [[millennium]] of progress since 600 CE, the Taliban largely follows practices that have been unchanged in that time, resulting in claims of barbarism.<ref>{{Cite news |first1=Harsh |last1=Pant |title=Barbarians at the gate as Afghanistan reels from a Taliban onslaught |url=https://www.orfonline.org/research/barbarians-at-the-gate-as-afghanistan-reels-from-a-taliban-onslaught/ |work=ORF |access-date=15 August 2021}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |first1=Charlie |last1=Faulkner |first2=Catherine |last2=Philp |first3=Henry |last3=Zeffman |first4=Haroon |last4=Janjua |title=Panic on streets of Kabul as Taliban enter capital from all sides |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/panic-as-taliban-enter-kabul-cgt502gb9 |work=The Times|access-date=15 August 2021 |issn=0140-0460|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815110917/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/panic-as-taliban-enter-kabul-cgt502gb9|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/15/afghanistan-taliban-seize-kabul-504749 |title=Taliban seize power amid chaos in Kabul |website=POLITICO|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184806/https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/15/afghanistan-taliban-seize-kabul-504749|url-status=live}}</ref> A minority of residents celebrated the Taliban advance.<ref name="guardian15" /> 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."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/afgghanistan-taliban-panic-kabul/31410597.html |title='People Are Terrified': Panic Sweeps Kabul As Taliban Moves Toward Afghan Capital |website=RFE/RL|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=14 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814155043/https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/afgghanistan-taliban-panic-kabul/31410597.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Burqa seller in Afghanistan.jpg|thumb|''[[Chadaree]]'' are sold in Afghanistan.]]

It was reported that sales of [[burqa]]s (known as ''chadaree'' in Afghanistan) jumped in the days leading to the Taliban's arrival, with the price of one increasing from {{Currency|200|AFN}} to as much as {{Currency|3000|AFN}}, in fear that the Taliban would re-impose it as mandatory on women and would target women who refused, in accordance with their strict [[Deobandi]] [[fundamentalist]] interpretation of [[Sharia]] law.<ref>{{cite news |title=Afghan women's defiance and despair: 'I never thought I'd have to wear a burqa. My identity will be lost' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/aug/15/afghan-womens-defiance-and-despair-i-never-thought-id-have-to-wear-a-burqa-my-identity-will-be-lost/ |work=The Guardian|first1=Zainab|last1=Pirzad|first2=Atefa|last2=Alizada |date=15 August 2021 |access-date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815060326/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/aug/15/afghan-womens-defiance-and-despair-i-never-thought-id-have-to-wear-a-burqa-my-identity-will-be-lost |url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/15/an-afghan-woman-in-kabul-now-i-have-to-burn-everything-i-achieved|title=An Afghan woman in Kabul: 'Now I have to burn everything I achieved'|date=15 August 2021|work=The Guardian|access-date=15 August 2021}}</ref> Shops in the city were noted to have begun painting over and removing advertisements featuring women.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/afghanistan-taliban-women-rights-adverts-b1902922.html|title=Ads depicting women 'painted over' after Taliban enters Kabul|work=The Independent|first=Chiara|last=Giordano|date=15 August 2021|access-date=15 August 2021}}</ref>

Residents reported a large increase in food prices.<ref name="guardian15" /> 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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Golshiri |first1=Ghazal |title=Dans Kaboul menacée par les talibans, les habitants « cherchent à liquider toute leur vie avant de quitter le pays " |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2021/08/14/dans-kaboul-menacee-par-les-talibans-les-habitants-cherchent-a-liquider-toute-leur-vie-avant-de-quitter-le-pays_6091408_3210.html |publisher=Le Monde |date=15 August 2021 |access-date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=14 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814162412/https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2021/08/14/dans-kaboul-menacee-par-les-talibans-les-habitants-cherchent-a-liquider-toute-leur-vie-avant-de-quitter-le-pays_6091408_3210.html |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Humanitarian]] 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/15/the-fall-of-kabul-a-20-year-mission-collapses-in-a-single-day|title = The fall of Kabul: A 20-year mission collapses in a single day|date = 15 August 2021}}</ref>

== 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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Choi |first=Joseph |date=15 August 2021 |title=Pope calls for peace in Afghanistan |work=The Hill |url=https://thehill.com/policy/international/567919-pope-calls-for-peace-in-afghanistan |access-date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184750/https://thehill.com/policy/international/567919-pope-calls-for-peace-in-afghanistan |url-status=live}}</ref>

Former Afghan President [[Hamid Karzai]] pressed publicly for a peaceful transition of power, promising he would remain in Kabul with his young daughters.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bose |first=Saikat Kumar |date=15 August 2021 |title=In Video With Daughters, Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai Appeals To Taliban |url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/in-video-with-daughters-afghanistans-hamid-karzai-appeals-to-taliban-2511055|url-status=live|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=NDTV.com|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184814/https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/in-video-with-daughters-afghanistans-hamid-karzai-appeals-to-taliban-2511055}}</ref> Several Afghan officials placed the blame for the collapse at the feet of the Ghani government.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/15/a-disgrace-people-in-afghanistan-slam-ghanis-swift-departure|title = 'Unpatriotic': Afghans slam President Ghani's swift departure}}</ref> In contrast to his decision to stay, Afghan National Reconciliation Council chairman [[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."<ref name="CTV 11:12PM EDT">{{cite web |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/official-taliban-to-declare-islamic-emirate-of-afghanistan-1.5547716 |title=Afghan president flees the country as Taliban move on Kabul |work=CTV News |date=15 August 2021|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184809/https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/afghan-president-flees-the-country-as-taliban-move-on-kabul-1.5547716|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Governments ===

British parliamentary [[Foreign Affairs Select Committee]] chairman [[Tom Tugendhat]] stated that the collapse was "the biggest single policy disaster since [[Suez Crisis|Suez]]".<ref name="guardian15" /> Prime Minister [[Boris Johnson]] announced that he would be recalling parliament to debate the situation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/aug/15/boris-johnson-urged-to-recall-parliament-over-afghanistan-crisis |title=Boris Johnson to recall parliament over Afghanistan crisis |date=15 August 2021 |website=the Guardian|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815102513/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/aug/15/boris-johnson-urged-to-recall-parliament-over-afghanistan-crisis|url-status=live}}</ref> In the afternoon of 15 August, the British cabinet held an emergency [[Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms|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."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58224383 |title=No one wants Afghanistan to become 'breeding ground for terror' – PM |work=BBC News |date=15 August 2021|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184811/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58224383|url-status=live}}</ref> 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."<ref name="news_Afgh">{{Cite web |title=Afghanistan must not become 'breeding ground for terror' once again , PM says |author= |work=Sky News |date=|access-date=15 August 2021 |url=https://news.sky.com/story/afghanistan-must-not-become-breeding-ground-for-terror-once-again-pm-says-12382549 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184824/https://news.sky.com/story/afghanistan-must-not-become-breeding-ground-for-terror-once-again-pm-says-12382549 |url-status=live}}</ref>

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.<ref>[https://www.leparisien.fr/international/direct-afghanistan-les-talibans-aux-portes-de-kaboul-loccident-en-alerte-15-08-2021-FRMSLGGNDVFHDBQMJIPCPDR7PQ.php DIRECT. Afghanistan : Emmanuel Macron s’exprimera lundi soir, annonce l’Elysée] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184816/https://www.leparisien.fr/international/direct-afghanistan-les-talibans-aux-portes-de-kaboul-loccident-en-alerte-15-08-2021-FRMSLGGNDVFHDBQMJIPCPDR7PQ.php |date=15 August 2021 }}. 15 August 2021.</ref>

The Canadian government announced that it would be suspending its embassy operations in Afghanistan.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canada-suspends-operations-at-embassy-in-afghanistan-citing-safety-concerns-1.5547860 |title=Canada suspends operations at embassy in Afghanistan, citing safety concerns |date=15 August 2021 |website=CTVNews|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815154724/https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canada-suspends-operations-at-embassy-in-afghanistan-citing-safety-concerns-1.5547860|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Ann Linde]], Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, stated that the collapse of the Afghan government had "gone much faster than anyone had expected."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/utrikesminister-ann-linde-har-gatt-mycket-fortare-an-vantat |title=Utrikesminister Linde: "Har gått mycket fortare än väntat" – Nyheter (Ekot) |first=Sveriges |last=Radio |website=sverigesradio.se|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184755/https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/utrikesminister-ann-linde-har-gatt-mycket-fortare-an-vantat|url-status=live}}</ref> Public broadcaster Sveriges Radio further reported that the Swedish embassy was evacuating its staff.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://news.trust.org/item/20210815111410-25fpn/ |title=Sweden to evacuate all personnel from Kabul embassy on Sunday – Swedish Radio |website=news.trust.org|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184754/https://news.trust.org/item/20210815111410-25fpn/|url-status=live}}</ref> Austrian Foreign Minister [[Alexander Schallenberg]] warned that "conflict and instability in the region will sooner or later spill over to Europe."<ref name=world-reacts>{{cite news |title=World reacts as Taliban closes in on Afghan capital |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/15/world-reacts-to-taliban-closing-in-on-afghan-capital |access-date=15 August 2021 |agency=Al Jazeera |date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184828/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/15/world-reacts-to-taliban-closing-in-on-afghan-capital |url-status=live}}</ref>

The Pakistani Foreign Minister stated "concern over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan" but said that Pakistan has no intention to close its [[Embassy of Pakistan, Kabul|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.<ref name=world-reacts /> The Russian Embassy in Kabul stated that it would not evacuate or close the embassy, with a Taliban spokesperson guaranteeing the embassy's safety.<ref>{{cite news |title=No need for evacuation of Russian embassy in Kabul, says mission |url=https://tass.com/world/1326097 |access-date=15 August 2021 |work=TASS |date=15 August 2021}}</ref> The Russian government further stated that talks were underway to hold an emergency [[U.N. Security Council]] meeting to discuss the situation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/08/15/russia-says-emergency-un-meeting-on-afghanistan-is-planned-a74792 |title=Russia says emergency UN meeting on Afghanistan is planned |date=15 August 2021 |website=The Moscow Times|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184819/https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/08/15/russia-says-emergency-un-meeting-on-afghanistan-is-planned-a74792|url-status=live}}</ref>

Prime Minister of [[New Zealand]] [[Jacinda Ardern]] said that the government had ramped up the efforts to evacuate nearly 30 New Zealand citizens from Kabul, given that commercial flights are no longer available.<ref>{{cite news |title=MFAT ramps up efforts to get 30 New Zealanders out of Afghanistan - Jacinda Ardern |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/449239/mfat-ramps-up-efforts-to-get-30-new-zealanders-out-of-afghanistan-jacinda-ardern |access-date=16 August 2021 |agency=[[RNZ]] |date=16 August 2021}}</ref>

=== Businesses ===

United Arab Emirates airline [[Flydubai]] announced that it would suspend flights to Kabul on 16 August.<ref>{{Cite web |title=UAE's flydubai to suspend Kabul flights from Monday, spokesperson says |url=https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/uaes-flydubai-to-suspend-kabul-flights-from-monday-spokesperson-says|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=nationalpost|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184819/https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/uaes-flydubai-to-suspend-kabul-flights-from-monday-spokesperson-says|url-status=live}}</ref> A flight by [[Emirates (airline)|Emirates Airlines]] to Kabul was diverted, and later returned to [[Dubai]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 August 2021 |title=Emirates flight to Kabul diverts to Dubai, flydubai suspends services |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/uaes-flydubai-suspend-kabul-flights-monday-spokesperson-says-2021-08-15/|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=Reuters|archive-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184801/https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/uaes-flydubai-suspend-kabul-flights-monday-spokesperson-says-2021-08-15/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Evaluation ==

{{External media|float=right|width=250|image1=[https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/08/15/ap21227222194956-f3811b66a7cfddb05ac0e0aef443e272a066f406-s900-c85.webp A widely shared image shows a helicopter landing in the US Embassy courtyard.] The Army [[Boeing CH-47 Chinook|CH-47 Chinook]] evacuated diplomatic staff to Kabul airport as the city fell.|image2=[https://image.pbs.org/poster_images/assets/amex27ldv-vid-embassy3_CBSNews_T3_withcredit.jpg Many comparisons were drawn to a similar photo from the fall of Saigon] In it, a Marine [[Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight|CH-46 Sea Knight]] landed on the embassy roof to evacuate the final Americans in Vietnam.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/amex27ldv.ush.embassy/embassy-evacuation/ |title=Last Days in Vietnam: The Embassy Evacuation |publisher=[[PBS]] |date= |accessdate=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815091917/https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/amex27ldv.ush.embassy/embassy-evacuation/ |url-status=live }}</ref>|caption=|title=External images}}

The events were compared by several commentators to the [[Fall of Saigon]] at the end of [[Vietnam War]] in April 1975.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Rash Report: In Kabul, shadows of Saigon |url=https://www.startribune.com/rash-report-in-kabul-shadows-of-saigon/600087681/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813230933/https://www.startribune.com/rash-report-in-kabul-shadows-of-saigon/600087681/|archive-date=13 August 2021|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=Star Tribune}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 August 2021 |title=Editorial: President Biden's Saigon moment |url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/08/15/editorial-president-bidens-saigon-moment/|url-status=live|work=Boston Herald|access-date=15 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815185455/https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/08/15/editorial-president-bidens-saigon-moment/|archive-date=15 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kabul evacuations 'sequel to humiliating fall of Saigon in 1975' |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/13/afghanistan-kabul-evacuations-1975-vietnam-war-saigon-taliban|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184053/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/13/afghanistan-kabul-evacuations-1975-vietnam-war-saigon-taliban|archive-date=15 August 2021|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=www.aljazeera.com}}</ref> 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 [[22 Gia Long Street|people being lifted off the roof]] of an [[Embassy of the United States, Kabul|embassy of the United States from Afghanistan]]. It is not at all comparable."<ref>{{Cite web |title=As the Taliban gains ground, Biden grapples with the ghosts of Saigon |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/taliban-gains-ground-biden-grapples-ghosts-saigon-n1276727|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815083657/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/taliban-gains-ground-biden-grapples-ghosts-saigon-n1276727|archive-date=15 August 2021|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=NBC News}}</ref>

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.<ref name="eco" /> [[Lawrence Chambers]], who had given the order to push helicopters off the {{USS|Midway|CV-41|6}} 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."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Altman |first=Howard |date=15 August 2021 |title='What's happening now is worse': Midway skipper who pushed choppers off deck in fall of Saigon |url=https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-military/2021/08/15/whats-happening-now-is-worse-midway-skipper-who-pushed-choppers-off-deck-in-fall-of-saigon/ |website=Air Force Times |access-date=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815202010/https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-military/2021/08/15/whats-happening-now-is-worse-midway-skipper-who-pushed-choppers-off-deck-in-fall-of-saigon/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 Asia|Southeast]] and [[Southwest Asia]] look terribly small."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theintercept.com/2021/08/15/afghanistan-taliban-kabul-fall-saigon/|title=The Fall of Kabul|work=The Intercept|first=Nick|last=Turse|authorlink=Nick Turse|date=15 August 2021|access-date=15 August 2021}}</ref>

On the day the Taliban entered Kabul, American secretary of state [[Antony Blinken]] continued to reject the comparison to Saigon, stating on an ABC's ''[[This Week (American TV program)|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."<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 August 2021 |title='This is manifestly not Saigon': Blinken defends US mission in Afghanistan |url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/15/antony-blinken-us-mission-afghanistan-saigon|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815184832/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/15/antony-blinken-us-mission-afghanistan-saigon|archive-date=15 August 2021|access-date=15 August 2021 |website=The Guardian|first=Ed|last=Pilkington}}</ref> Despite the city's fall, 5,000 U.S. troops remained in the city along with some U.S. embassy personnel.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/taliban-enters-kabul-u-s-evacuation-efforts-continue-n1276855 |title=Afghan president flees country as U.S. rushes to exit with Taliban on brink of power |work=NBC News|first1=Ahmed|last1=Mengli|first2=Mushtaq|last2=Yusufzai|first3=Rhea|last3=Mogul|first4=Andrea|last4=Mitchell |date=15 August 2021 |accessdate=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815183655/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/taliban-enters-kabul-u-s-evacuation-efforts-continue-n1276855 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was also confirmed that NATO troops were still present at the Hamid Karzai International Airport.<ref name=natoairport>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nato-maintains-diplomatic-presence-kabul-despite-taliban-advances-2021-08-15/ |title=NATO says it is helping keep Kabul airport open for evacuations |publisher=Reuters |date=15 August 2021 |accessdate=15 August 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815160948/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nato-maintains-diplomatic-presence-kabul-despite-taliban-advances-2021-08-15/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The same day, the U.S. government authorized the deployment of 1,000 additional troops to Afghanistan, thus bringing the total number of U.S. troops in Kabul to 6,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thehill.com/policy/defense/567952-pentagon-authorizes-sending-additional-1000-troops-to-afghanistan|title=Pentagon authorizes sending additional 1,000 troops to Afghanistan|first=Myhael|last=Schnell|work=The Hill|date=15 August 2021|accessdate=15 August 2021}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Operation Pitting]] and [[Operation Allies Refuge]]

* [[Battle of Kabul (1992–1996)]]

* [[Siege of Kabul (2001)]]

* [[Ghost soldiers]]

* [[Fall of Saigon]]

* [[Fall of Phnom Penh]]

* [[Battle of Sanaa (2014)]]

==Notes==

{{notelist}}

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{War in Afghanistan (2001–present)}}

{{Taliban}}

{{coord missing|Afghanistan}}

[[Category:Afghanistan conflict (1978–present)]]

[[Category:2021 in Afghanistan]]

[[Category:Conflicts in 2021]]

[[Category:2021 in Kabul]]

[[Category:Battles of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)]]

[[Category:Military operations of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present) involving the United States]]

[[Category:August 2021 events in Asia]]

[[Category:Battles in 2021]]

[[Category:2020s coups d'état and coup attempts]]