Today's D Brief: Afghanistan's uncertain new chapter; Tragedy at Kabul; Lives in limbo; Lingering Qs; And a bit more.
By Ben Watson
August 16, 2021 11:10 AM ET
The D Brief
America’s war in Afghanistan is finally over. The victorious Taliban made the bold announcement Sunday once it had taken control of the capital city of Kabul, after now-former President Ashraf Ghani fled the country with an entourage of staff and aides.
The U.S. military is now focused on protecting the evacuation process at Kabul’s airport, and more American troops are headed there today to help with that task, Reuters reports. Tolo News reports all commercial flights have been suspended; a bit on why that is down below.
The political reality inside Afghanistan is now clear for the world to see; but if you’d like a refresher, CNN’s notably brave Clarissa Ward filed this extraordinary six-minute report Monday morning. With the Taliban now in charge of Kabul, advertisements featuring photos of women are being painted over and “the streets were eerily quiet for a city of 5 million people usually jammed with traffic,” the Associated Press reports. More below the fold.
https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/08/the-d-brief-august-16-2021/184541/
