It has been one year since the Taliban reclaimed control of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, following the stunning collapse of the government of President Ashraf Ghani.
The return of the Islamic forces triggered panic in the city and sparked a chaotic and embarrassing final withdrawal of U.S. military forces from that country after 20 years of war.
The past year has been hard on the Afghan people. The country’s economy has collapsed and many citizens have been pushed into poverty. Promises of moderate social policy have not been honored and women and girls have again been reduced to second-class citizens. Their government is an international outcast. As always, ordinary Afghans are suffering for the failings of their leadership.