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KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban triumphantly marched into Kabul’s worldwide airport on Tuesday, hours after the ultimate U.S. troop withdrawal that ended America’s longest conflict. Standing on the tarmac, Taliban leaders pledged to safe the nation, rapidly reopen the airport and grant amnesty to former opponents.
In a present of management, turbaned Taliban leaders have been flanked by the insurgents’ elite Badri unit as they walked throughout the tarmac. The commandos in camouflage uniforms proudly posed for pictures.
Getting the airport working once more is simply one of many sizeable challenges the Taliban face in governing a nation of 38 million those that for twenty years had survived on billions of {dollars} in overseas support.
“Afghanistan is lastly free,” Hekmatullah Wasiq, a high Taliban official, advised The Related Press on the tarmac. “The army and civilian facet (of the airport) are with us and in management. Hopefully, we will probably be saying our Cupboard. Every little thing is peaceable. Every little thing is protected.”
Wasiq additionally urged folks to return to work and reiterated the Taliban pledge providing a normal amnesty. “Individuals must be affected person,” he mentioned. “Slowly we are going to get all the pieces again to regular. It’ll take time.”
Simply hours earlier, the U.S. army had wrapped up its largest airlift of non-combatants in historical past.
On Tuesday morning, indicators of the chaos of latest days have been nonetheless seen. Within the terminal, rifled baggage and garments have been strewn throughout the bottom, alongside wads of paperwork. Concertina wire stills separated areas whereas overturned vehicles and parked automobiles blocked routes across the civilian airport — an indication of measures taken to guard towards doable suicide automotive bombers getting into the power.
Automobiles carrying the Taliban raced backwards and forwards alongside the Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport’s sole runway on the army facet of the airfield. Earlier than daybreak broke, closely armed Taliban fighters walked by hangars, passing a few of the seven CH-46 helicopters the State Division utilized in its evacuations earlier than rendering them unusable.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid addressed the gathered members of the Badri unit. “I hope you be very cautious in coping with the nation,” he mentioned. “Our nation has suffered conflict and invasion and the folks do not need extra tolerance.”
On the finish of his remarks, the Badri fighters shouted: “God is the best!”
In an interview with Afghan state tv, Mujahid additionally mentioned restarting operations on the airport, which stays a key means out for these wanting to go away the nation.
“Our technical staff will probably be checking the technical and logistical wants of the airport,” he mentioned. “If we’re capable of repair all the pieces on our personal, then we received’t want any assist. If there’s want for technical or logistics assist to restore the destruction, then we’d ask assist from Qatar or Turkey.”
He didn’t elaborate on what was destroyed.
Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top of U.S. army’s Central Command, earlier mentioned troops disabled 27 Humvees and 73 plane so that they can’t be used once more. He mentioned troops didn’t blow up gear wanted for ultimately restarting airport operations.
The airport had seen chaotic and lethal scenes because the Taliban blitzed throughout Afghanistan and took Kabul on Aug. 15. 1000’s of Afghans besieged the airport, some falling to their dying after desperately hanging onto the facet of an American C-17 army cargo jet. Final week, an Islamic State suicide assault at an airport gate killed a minimum of 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members.
In the course of the evacuation, U.S. forces helped evacuate over 120,000 U.S. residents, foreigners and Afghans, in keeping with the White Home. Coalition forces additionally evacuated their residents and Afghans. However for all who obtained out, overseas nations and the U.S. acknowledged they didn’t evacuate all who wished to go.
On Tuesday, after an evening that noticed the Taliban hearth triumphantly into the air, guards now blearily on responsibility saved out the curious and people nonetheless one way or the other hoping to catch a flight out.
“After 20 years we have now defeated the People,” mentioned Mohammad Islam, a Taliban guard on the airport from Logar province, cradling a Kalashnikov rifle. “They’ve left and now our nation is free.”
“It’s clear what we would like. We would like Shariah (Islamic legislation), peace and stability,” he added.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. particular consultant who oversaw America’s talks with the Taliban, wrote on Twitter that “Afghans face a second of resolution & alternative” after the withdrawal.
“Their nation’s future is of their fingers. They are going to select their path in full sovereignty,” he wrote. “That is the possibility to deliver their conflict to an finish as effectively.”
However the Taliban face what may very well be a sequence of main crises as they absolutely take over the federal government. The vast majority of the billions of {dollars} Afghanistan holds in overseas reserves is now frozen in America, pressuring its now-depreciating Afghani foreign money. Banks have carried out withdrawal controls, fearing runs on their deposits within the uncertainty. Civil servants throughout the nation say they haven’t acquired their wage in months.
Abdul Maqsood, a site visitors police officer for the previous 10 years on responsibility close to the airport, mentioned he hadn’t paid for the previous 4 months.
“We preserve coming to work however we aren’t getting paid,” he mentioned.
Medical gear stays in brief provide, whereas 1000’s who fled the Taliban’s advance stay dwelling in squalid circumstances. A significant drought additionally has reduce into the nation’s meals provides, making its imports much more essential and elevating the chance of individuals going hungry.
Additionally in query are the rights of ladies, who confronted oppression below the Taliban’s earlier rule.
Faculties have reopened, and on Tuesday morning dozens of elementary faculty college students headed to colleges in a neighborhood close to the airport. The Taliban have ordered faculties to be segregated however it’s usually not enforced for youthful youngsters.
“I’m not afraid of the Taliban,” mentioned Masooda, a fifth-grade pupil.
In the course of the evacuation, U.S. forces helped evacuate over 120,000 U.S. residents, foreigners and Afghans, in keeping with the White Home. Coalition forces additionally evacuated their residents and Afghans. However for all who obtained out, overseas nations and the U.S. acknowledged they didn’t evacuate all who wished to go.
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