Race against time: Afghans in rush to evacuate as West recalibrates
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What is the mission now? The chaos at the gates of Kabul airport has Western powers scrambling to save those who directly helped them these past 20 years. We ask about the challenge there. And what happens once the last military transport has airlifted out?
After ousting the Taliban, who harbored Osama Bin Laden's Al Qaeda, there were many objectives for the military intervention in Afghanistan. The US and its allies talked of nation building, supporting civil society and providing training for defence forces whose true capabilities proved grossly overestimated in the end. If, after 20 years, the West failed to win the peace, then what role might it have going forward?
After the fall of Kabul, should that role be to negotiate with the victors or to continue to fight them? To keep regional rivals in check as part of a zero-sum game or to work together to limit the damage? Most importantly, what do ordinary Afghans want?
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Juliette Laurain and Imen Mellaz.
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