The fall of Kabul came gradually, then suddenly.
U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw all American combat troops from Afghanistan brought about the collapse of the Afghan government, the overpowering of the 300,000-strong national army hit by the Taliban’s surprise attack, and regional and global geopolitical shifts.
The world was shocked by the chaotic footage of a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane packed with evacuees taking off as civilians clung on, with some falling off midair.