Taliban declares ‘war is over’ as president and diplomats flee Kabul

KABUL: The Taliban declared the battle in Afghanistan over after taking management of the presidential palace in Kabul whereas Western nations scrambled on Monday to evacuate their residents amid chaos on the airport as frantic Afghans looked for a approach out.
President Ashraf Ghani fled the nation on Sunday because the Islamist militants entered the capital nearly unopposed, saying he needed to keep away from bloodshed, whereas a whole lot of Afghans determined to depart flooded Kabul airport.
“Right now is a good day for the Afghan folks and the mujahideen. They’ve witnessed the fruits of their efforts and their sacrifices for 20 years,” Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman for the Taliban’s political workplace, instructed Al Jazeera TV.
“Because of God, the battle is over within the nation.”
It took the Taliban simply over every week to grab management of the nation after a lightning sweep that led to Kabul as authorities forces, educated for years and geared up by the USA and others at a price of billions of {dollars}, melted away.
Al Jazeera broadcast footage of what it stated had been Taliban commanders within the presidential palace with dozens of armed fighters.
Naeem stated the type of the brand new regime in Afghanistan could be made clear quickly, including the Taliban didn’t wish to dwell in isolation and calling for peaceable worldwide relations.
“We’ve got reached what we had been searching for, which is the liberty of our nation and the independence of our folks,” he stated. “We is not going to permit anybody to make use of our lands to focus on anybody, and we don’t wish to hurt others.”
A Taliban chief instructed Reuters the insurgents had been regrouping from totally different provinces, and would wait till overseas forces had left earlier than creating a brand new governance construction.
The chief, who requested anonymity, stated Taliban fighters had been “ordered to permit Afghans to renew day by day actions and do nothing to scare civilians.”

“Regular life will proceed in a a lot better approach, that’s all I can say for now,” he instructed Reuters in a message.
Central Kabul streets had been largely abandoned early on a sunny Monday as waking residents contemplated their future.
“I’m in a whole state of shock,” stated Sherzad Karim Stanekzai, who spent the evening in his carpet store to protect it. “I do know there will likely be no foreigners, no worldwide individuals who will now come to Kabul.”
The militants sought to challenge a extra reasonable face, promising to respect ladies’s rights and defend each foreigners and Afghans.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern referred to as for the Taliban to uphold human rights and stated the world was watching: “It’s going to be all concerning the actions, not the phrases.”

Disgrace
A US State Division spokesperson stated early on Monday that every one embassy personnel, together with Ambassador Ross Wilson, had been transferred to Kabul airport, largely by helicopter, to await evacuation and the American flag had been lowered and faraway from the embassy compound.
Lots of of Afghans invaded the airport’s runways at nighttime, pulling baggage and jostling for a spot on one of many final business flights to depart earlier than US forces took over air visitors management on Sunday.
“That is our airport however we’re seeing diplomats being evacuated whereas we wait in full uncertainty,” stated Rakhshanda Jilali, a human rights activist who was attempting to get to Pakistan, instructed Reuters in a message from the airport.
US forces managing the airport fired into the air to cease Afghans surging onto the tarmac to attempt to board a army flight, a US official stated.
Dozens of males tried to clamber up onto an overhead departure gangway to board a aircraft whereas a whole lot of others milled about, a video posted on social media confirmed.

The Pentagon on Sunday approved one other 1,000 troops to assist evacuate US residents and Afghans who labored for them, increasing its safety presence on the bottom to virtually 6,000 troops throughout the subsequent 48 hours.
Greater than 60 western international locations, together with the USA, Britain, France and Japan, issued a joint assertion saying all Afghans and worldwide residents who needed to depart have to be allowed to take action.
Western nations, together with France, Germany and New Zealand stated they had been working to get residents in addition to some Afghan staff out. Russia stated it noticed no have to evacuate its embassy in the meanwhile whereas Turkey stated its embassy would proceed operations.
In a Fb put up, Ghani stated he had left the nation to keep away from clashes with the Taliban that might endanger thousands and thousands of Kabul residents. Some social media customers branded Ghani, who didn’t disclose his location, a coward for leaving them in chaos.

’Failed expertise’
Many Afghans concern the Taliban will return to previous harsh practices of their imposition of sharia spiritual legislation. Throughout their 1996-2001 rule, ladies couldn’t work and punishments resembling stoning, whipping and hanging had been administered.
UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres urged all events to train the utmost restraint, and expressed specific concern about the way forward for ladies and women.
In Washington, opponents of President Joe Biden’s choice to finish America’s longest battle, launched after the Sept. 11, 2001, assaults, stated the chaos was attributable to a failure of management.
Biden has confronted rising home criticism after sticking to a plan, initiated by his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, to finish the US army mission by Aug. 31.
Senate Republican chief Mitch McConnell blamed Biden for what he referred to as a “shameful failure of American management.”
“Terrorists and main rivals like China are watching the embarrassment of a superpower laid low,” McConnell stated.
Naeem stated the Taliban would undertake a world coverage of two-way non-interference. “We don’t assume that overseas forces will repeat their failed expertise.”