After President Joe Biden defended his decision to end the two-decade war, the Taliban prepared to stage a parade displaying some of the military hardware they captured during their takeover of Afghanistan on Wednesday.
After taking control of Afghanistan last month after a bloody insurgency, Islamist hardliners celebrated the US withdrawal, which was completed on Monday, as a major victory.
An AFP journalist observed a long line of green Humvees idled in single file on a highway outside Kandahar, the spiritual birthplace of the terrorist movement, many with white-and-black Taliban flags attached to aerials.
A helicopter flew overhead, trailing the Taliban’s standard beneath it as fighters in headscarves waved beneath, according to footage posted on a pro-Taliban account of the parade’s build-up.
At least one Black Hawk helicopter has been seen flying over Kandahar in recent days, implying that it was piloted by a member of the former Afghan army, as the Taliban lack qualified pilots.
Meanwhile, the UN warned of a looming “humanitarian catastrophe,” emphasising the daunting challenges that the Taliban face as they transition from insurgent group to governing power.
Despite this, US Vice President Joe Biden remained defiant.
“This is the correct choice. That was a wise decision. And the best decision for the United States, “Biden stated this in a speech to the nation.
The only option for America, according to Biden, was “leaving or escalating.”
The president, who has been chastised by critics for his handling of the withdrawal, which saw the US and its allies evacuate more than 122,000 people in just over two weeks, described the operation as a “extraordinary success.”
“No nation in history has ever done anything like it; only the United States had the capacity, will, and ability to do it,” he said.
‘The Darkest Hour’
All eyes will now be on how the Taliban handle their first few days in sole control of the country, with a particular focus on whether they will allow free departure for those who want to leave – including some foreigners.
The United States has stated that “under 200” of its citizens remain in the country, while Britain has stated that the number of British nationals inside is in the “low hundreds.”
Thousands of Afghans who have worked with the US-backed government over the years and are afraid of retaliation want to flee.
Negotiations are currently underway to determine who will now run Kabul airport, which German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned is of “existential importance” as a lifeline for aid.
IS-K Is ‘Not Done’
Several countries’ authorities have already begun meeting with Taliban leaders, the most recent being India.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Qatar’s foreign minister, urged the Taliban to combat terrorism following the US withdrawal and called for an inclusive government.
The US-led airlift began on August 15, after the Taliban completed an astonishing rout of government forces throughout the country and took control of the capital.
The withdrawal came just days before Biden’s August 31 deadline to end the war, which began with a US-led invasion that ousted the Taliban in the aftermath of 9/11 but later reached a stalemate on the battlefield with resurgent terrorists.
Tens of thousands of Afghans have been killed in the conflict, as have over 2,400 American service members.
The evacuation was complicated by a threat from the Taliban’s rivals, a regional offshoot of the Islamic State group.
Thirteen US troops were among the more than 100 people killed when an IS suicide bomber struck the airport’s perimeter, where desperate Afghans had gathered in the hope of boarding an evacuation flight.
