The Great Afghan Escape: President, Soldier, "The Plane Never Stopped"

People board a plane at an airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 16. (Xinhua News Agency/AFP/Photo)

"The war in Afghanistan is over."

On August 15, local time, Mohammad Naeem, a spokesman for the political office of the Afghan Taliban, issued the above statement. Nayim also said no diplomatic establishment or any of its headquarters would be targeted and that the Taliban would provide security for citizens and diplomatic missions.

Prior to this, European and American countries had dispatched troops to organize the emergency evacuation of overseas Chinese. A Chinook helicopter hovering over the U.S. Embassy in South Vietnam 46 years ago reappeared in Kabul. On August 15, former Afghan President Ghani was reported to have "fled overseas" and remains unaccounted for. He posted a statement on his social media account saying he left to "prevent bloodshed."

On the other hand, a large number of people expecting to evacuate Afghanistan are stranded at the airport in the capital, Kabul. Afghan female director Sarhaa Karimi, worried about the fate of the country's women, wrote an article calling for "the world not abandoning Afghanistan."

According to publicly available data, as of July 2021, there are still 305,000 Afghan security forces (including the National Army, Internal Affairs Forces, Special Forces and Air Force). However, the soldiers fighting on the front line did not build a defensive line against the Taliban. Many of them threw their armor and fled to neighbouring countries or surrendered their weapons to the Taliban. Former Afghan Defense Minister Bismila Muhammadi was furious, calling it "a lamb that has never seen the world."

After this sudden political change, is it stability or turmoil left for Afghanistan?

<h3>"The Taliban have entered the city"</h3>

On the morning of 15 August, sporadic gunfire was heard in Kabul, the Afghan capital. According to Afghan media reports, at that time, the Taliban forces had completed the siege of Kabul and were on standby on the outskirts of the city. The whole world is concerned about whether this thousand-year-old city will be slaughtered by war.

As early as the day before, the news of the "Taliban siege" had reached the city. After nightfall, roaring military planes frequently passed over the city of Kabul. At about 5:30 a.m. on the 15th, Chinese businessman Li Xijing was once again awakened by the roar of the plane. He told Southern Weekend reporters, "Later, according to colleagues in the factory near the airport, it was confirmed that the Americans were evacuating overseas Chinese and did not stop overnight." ”

The war situation was suddenly tense, and many of the people stranded in Kabul planned to flee.

A video of tens of seconds on social media showed hundreds of people chasing a U.S. military C-17 transport plane as it took off from Kabul International Airport in recent days. Some even climbed into the landing gear compartments on either side of the plane. After taking off, two black groups fell from the sky one after another, and it was suspected that someone had crashed.

However, the flames of war did not ignite in Kabul, and the rapid change of the war situation was unexpected.

On August 15, Taliban spokesman Mujahid said via social media that the group was in Kabul in discussions with the Afghan government for a "peaceful transfer of power" and ordered its personnel not to storm the city. Subsequently, Afghan Acting Interior Minister Abdul Sattar Mirzaquale also said that the government would transfer power to the transitional government.

The political situation in Afghanistan has "changed" overnight.

"Taliban has gone into town." On the afternoon of August 15, Li Xijing, who was in Kabul, received a message from a colleague. Colleagues also mentioned that "Taliban soldiers were seen resting in the park".

Li Xijing, the head of a Chinese trade city in Kabul, has been doing business in Afghanistan since 2018. Located in the bustling business district of the capital Kabul, The City of Commerce is well known in Afghanistan. However, due to the tense war situation, the trade city was temporarily suspended on the morning of the 15th.

On the morning of the same day, at the intersection not far from the trade city, there were long queues of vehicles coming from different directions, and they were not dredged until noon. This is a commercial area where people come and go, and Li Xijing did not pay attention at first. However, he then found that, unlike in the past, there had been a marked increase in the number of armed guard vehicles in the traffic.

On the afternoon of the 15th, the number of pedestrians and vehicles at the intersection in front of the Chinese city gate was significantly reduced. Immediately, Li Xijing also learned from many sources that the Taliban had entered the city of Kabul. Looking back at the recent war situation, as a bystander, he can't help but sigh: "The Taliban are advancing too fast, like [in] running to take over the city." ”

The Taliban have previously issued statements promising that retaliatory attacks will not be carried out against those working for the government or its security services, and that "life, property and honor" will be respected. The Taliban also urged Afghans to stay in Afghanistan and pledged to create a "safe environment" for businesses, embassies, foreign and local charities.

"Hand over your gun and you can go home." As the Associated Press reported on Aug. 16, Afghan soldiers who succumbed to the Taliban's blitzkrieg are now expecting such a promise.

On August 15, former government officers and soldiers could often be seen "talking lightly" with the Taliban at iconic locations such as Mewande Avenue, Chalmermann Avenue, and the Mandawi Grand Bazaar in Kabul, Afghanistan.

These government officers and men have no weapons in their hands, only uniforms and epaulettes that prove who they once were. On the other hand, the attitude of Taliban soldiers also appears to be "easy-going", their rifles and bazookas are either on their backs or on their backs, not ready to fight at any time.

"It's hard to imagine that I could face the 'mujahideen' like this." Akhnzada was a member of the former Afghan National Army soldiers. He wrote on social media that he surrendered to the Taliban at the foot of the Sherdal Waza Mountains, a suburb of Kabul. "I still have some trepidation in my heart. But at least for now, the conquerors kept smiling, and they took off the turban that covered their faces, emphasizing that we were all 'brothers of the Allah'. ”

But suspicions of the Taliban remain.

The Associated Press reported on Aug. 16 that when the Taliban occupied the Afghan city of Herat, two government prisoners were accused of being thieves "without evidence." They were then painted with ink and pulled out to parade the streets as a warning. The report also said, "According to the Taliban's previous law, if it is a repeat offender, the thief will have his hands cut off." ”

<h3>The "Great Escape", from president to soldier</h3>

If the fall of Kabul was the final death knell of the Afghan government of Ghani, then the fall of Mazar-e-Sharif was a prelude to the great collapse.

Northern Afghanistan has long been seen as a bastion for anti-Taliban forces. Even when the Taliban controlled 90 percent of Afghanistan in the 1990s, the Northern Alliance has been fighting tenaciously in the region. On August 14, 2021, with the fall of Mazar-e-Sharif, the region's last major city, the northern part of the country was completely occupied by the Taliban.

Less than an hour after breaking through the city's fringe defenses, the Taliban occupied the city. The defenders fell almost without a fight, scattering their birds and beasts. Some even wonder whether government or militia commanders secretly reached a "surrender" agreement with the Taliban and then ceded control of the city.

On the same day, two generals in charge of the defense of Mazar-e-Sharif, the Uzbek warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum and Atta Mohammad Noor, a local strongman in Balkh province, both fled to neighboring Uzbekistan.

"Despite our resolute resistance, it is regrettable that, as a result of an organized cowardly plot, all the equipment of the government forces fell into the hands of the Taliban." Noor lamented on social media. Just a few days ago, they were local forces that the Ghani government relied on and co-opted.

After the occupation of Mazar-i-Sharif, the Taliban also occupied the mansion of the warlord Dustum. A video circulating on social media showed several Taliban armed men wandering around the ornate residence, curiously fiddling with the furnishings inside the home.

At present, the whereabouts of former Afghan President Ghani are also eye-catching. Multiple sources reported that he had left Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's chief negotiator, Abdullah, said President Ghani had left Afghanistan as the Taliban approached Kabul, Al Jazeera reported. The Associated Press also reported that Ghani and a small group of henchmen quietly left Afghanistan, unaware of other leaders involved in the negotiations to seek a peaceful transition.

While the Afghan leader's whereabouts were being discussed, Ghani responded through social platform authentication accounts. "To prevent the blood from flowing, I decided to leave." In his post, Ghani said, "If I stay, countless my compatriots will be martyred, Kabul will be destroyed, and it may also bring humanitarian disaster to 6 million residents." ”

The Associated Press believes Ghani's departure marks the end of 20 years of Western experiments aimed at reshaping Afghanistan. Afghanistan's acting defense minister, Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, has also been unabashedly critical of Ghani. "He took our hands from behind, and they betrayed the country," "I cursed him and his cohorts."

On the day the Taliban entered Kabul, the Uzbek government said it had detained 84 Afghan soldiers who had crossed the border, who had sought medical help instead of trying to resist. Uzbekistan has also provided humanitarian assistance to Afghan soldiers stationed on the Ukrainian-Afghan border.

As early as a month ago, about 1,000 Afghan soldiers fled to Tajikistan after clashing with the Taliban, and the Pakistani military claimed that 46 Afghan soldiers, including five officers, fled to the cape province in northwestern Pakistan.

The US "First Defense" website reported on July 3 that in the Argentine army, on average, nearly 1/3 of the soldiers are discharged or abandoned every year, and nearly 70,000 soldiers need to be replenished every year. Statistics released by NATO in February 2021 also show that due to Taliban attacks, the new crown epidemic and poor treatment, many Afghan soldiers deserted. In May 2020 alone, more than 5,000 soldiers deserted.

In addition, the construction of the Afghan army relies heavily on the United States, such as officer training, tactical training, weapons operations, reconnaissance intelligence and logistical support, etc. all need the support of the United States, and the Great Withdrawal of the United States caught them off guard.

Former Afghan Defense Minister Bismila Muhammadi admitted to his home television on August 1, 2021, that the frequent departure of soldiers has led to a long-term high rate of 2.2% per month for afghan troop turnover, resulting in the inability of troops to carry out systematic training, and most soldiers can not even use the weapons in their hands skillfully, so they go to fight the Taliban, resulting in artillery fire and casualties that quickly "scare away the 'lambs' who have not seen the world".

Some of the Ghani government personnel also chose to stay.

On the evening of August 15, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced that he would form a coordination committee with Abdullah, chairman of the Afghan peace talks delegation, and Hekmatyar, leader of the Islamic Party, to handle the peaceful handover of power and called on the Afghan government and the Taliban's forces to exercise restraint.

And Afghan Vice President Saleh also posted, "I will not bow to the Taliban under any circumstances, and I will never betray the soul and legacy of my hero Massoud." "In the 1990s, Afghan general Massoud built a base in the Panjshir Valley to rebel against the Taliban regime.

As of 16 August, the Taliban had effective control of Kabul. Some Taliban personnel also entered the abandoned presidential palace. A Taliban spokesman said in interviews that the Taliban would hold talks within days to establish an "open and inclusive Islamic government."

<h3>A retreat of déjà vu</h3>

As the Taliban approached Kabul, a familiar "American retreat" was staged in Afghanistan.

An evacuation map circulating on social media shows a U.S. Chinook helicopter hovering over the roof of the embassy in Afghanistan. During the 1975 Saigon evacuation, the same Chinook helicopters over the U.S. Embassy in South Vietnam undertook the evacuation mission.

On August 14, 2021, the White House issued a statement saying that President Joe Biden has authorized the deployment of about 5,000 U.S. troops to ensure the orderly and safe withdrawal of U.S. and other allied personnel. "If afghan forces cannot defend their country, another year or five years of U.S. military presence will not help," the statement added. ”

Still, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken denied the evacuation from Afghanistan, similar to the departure of U.S. diplomats from Saigon more than forty years ago. "The United States has completed its mission to bring the perpetrators of 9/11 to justice," he said. ”

The vanguard of the U.S. Marine Corps reportedly arrived in Kabul on Friday, with the remaining 3,000 expected to arrive on Sunday. The Pentagon has also sent an additional 4,500-5,000 troops to U.S. military bases in Qatar and Kuwait, of which about 1,000 will travel to Qatar, with the remaining troops sent to Kuwait to deal with any situation that may arise in Kabul.

According to CNN, U.S. Defense Secretary Austin has ordered that U.S. soldiers who originally went to Kuwait will be diverted to Kabul, which means that the total number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will exceed 6,000 at one point.

At a time when the Afghan government forces are retreating, European countries with which they are good friends are also using their armies to evacuate their borders in a hurry.

On Aug. 12, the British Ministry of Defence said it would deploy about 600 troops in a short period of time to assist diplomats in evacuating Afghanistan, leaving only a "core team" of staff at the British Embassy in Kabul focused on providing consular and visa services for those who needed to leave quickly. According to Reuters news on August 15, the British ambassador to Afghanistan Sir Bristol has left Afghanistan by plane on the evening of the same day.

Germany also closed its embassy in Afghanistan on Aug. 15 and is preparing to send military transport planes to Afghanistan to evacuate German citizens and local Afghan workers. According to people familiar with the matter, two military transport planes went to Kabul to transfer those who needed to be evacuated to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

Germany's Foreign Ministry said on Aug. 13 that fewer than 100 Germans remain in Afghanistan, with the exception of government personnel still working in Afghanistan. Other sources say at least 1,000 former Afghan employees and their families who assisted Germany need to be evacuated.

Among the people who hastily evacuated Afghanistan, many are "Afghan friends" of European and American countries.

On August 2, 2021, the U.S. Department of State announced an expansion of eligibility for refugee status for Afghans to include current and former Afghan employees who have served U.S. news agencies, aid and development agencies, with approximately 20,000 people filing applications for the program.

According to a Reuters report on August 13, some U.S. officials said the U.S. government has been in secret negotiations with some countries in an attempt to persuade them to temporarily take in Afghans who have worked for the U.S. government. Soon after, Canada's immigration minister also publicly stated that Canada planned to resettle more than 20,000 Afghans "to protect them from reprisals from the Taliban."

<h3>The fears of the Afghan people</h3>

Sahraa Karimi is an Afghan female film director. As the first female president of the Afghan Film Association since its founding in 1968, she released the 2021 Afghan Film Festival until August 8. However, as the situation in Afghanistan has grown more tense, it has been replaced by military news, prayers and appeals.

On the evening of August 13, Karimmi sent a handwritten letter "to all film practitioners and film lovers around the world" through social media. In the letter, she feared that "once the Taliban comes to power, it will ban all arts, deprive women of their rights, and destroy many schools."

In Afghanistan, the shadow of the Taliban's theocratic rule that began in the 1990s has not yet dissipated. A significant portion of ordinary Afghans fear that if the Taliban return to power, severe restrictions will be re-imposed on Afghan society.

For example, the tyranny of women under Taliban rule has been criticized. Women wear burqas; they can be beaten when they go out unaccompanied; women cannot work or leave home for any reason without a male "guardian," and the role of guardian can even be held by a prepubertal son, nephew or brother.

When the news of the Taliban's entry into Kabul came, many women in the area shared Karimi's fears for the future. At the end of the letter, Karimhi called on the people of the world to speak up for "the women, children, artists and filmmakers of Afghanistan" and help them get more attention.

Recently, under the entry of Instagram, the world's largest photo sharing platform related to Kabul and Afghanistan, the proportion of posts in solidarity with Afghan women is very high, artists create cartoons and publish photographs, and female students draw flags and maps on their faces to ask for help.

Mabuba Seraj, founder of the Afghan women's organization and a women's rights activist, also shouted to the remaining Western countries in an aug. 11 interview with the English channel of the Turkish General Administration of Radio and Television: "Shame on you!" ”

On August 15, the Taliban burst into Kabul and U.S. Embassy personnel were evacuated by helicopter. Many Afghans have also chosen to flee their homeland. In the early hours of August 16, Karimmi released a video of Kabul's airport, which was full of people at black press stations, and the roar of planes and gunshots could be heard in the background.

Saad Mohseni, director of MOBY, Afghanistan's largest media company, also tweeted another video taken inside the plane. In the video, the flight to Istanbul is noisy and noisy, interspersed with the cries of babies. Moseni said a thousand passengers tried to squeeze onto the plane, which had a capacity of only 300 people. "Thousands of civilians are stranded at the airport and are not allowed to fly away... It was a disaster, there was no security at the airport, nothing. ”

In an interview with Southern Weekend, Jalal, who lives in Kabul, described the current state of affairs as "total chaos in anarchy." "Everything is unclear, and it is too early to draw any conclusions."

Not everyone is pessimistic, though.

Zora Rate, an Afghan now living in Canada, expressed her support for the Taliban during an online meeting on Aug. 16. The conference was mostly made by Afghan immigrants living in North America, and hundreds of people were online.

In Zola's view, the Taliban's seizure of power marks that the Afghan people can finally decide their own destiny, and the Taliban can take control in just 10 days – Zola particularly stressed that he will not describe Taliban behavior in terms of "occupation" – Kabul, which already shows the people's approval of it.

"If we're talking about how to help the Afghans, then these conversations that we're having now are not helpful," Zola said. The only people who can help Afghanistan are those who are currently in that country. ”

However, shortly after saying these words, Zola was "kicked out" of the conference room.

Southern Weekend reporter Mao Shujie Southern Weekend special writer Wu Pei Southern Weekend intern Xu Jiayi Sun Yue Yang Chengyu Chen Yiru