Afghanistan Conflict: Chaos, desperation at Kabul airport following Taliban seizure of capital
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Thousands of Afghans rushed into Kabul’s main airport Monday, following the Taliban takeover, as America’s longest war ended with its enemy the victor. The crowds came while the Taliban enforced their rule over the capital of 5 million people after a lightning advance across the country that took just over a week to dethrone the country's Western-backed government. Dr. Michael Rubin, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, joins France 24 to discuss the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan after being driven from power two decades ago by US and NATO forces. Dr. Rubin "did not expect (Kabul) to fall so quickly. I expected there to be a last fight there. Although the speed of the Taliban through the rest of the country didn't surprise me." Dr. Rubin did want to remind us as well that "as quickly as they took the country, remember, they lost the country that quickly back in 2001. Momentum means everything in Afghanistan, as groups will defect in order to live to fight another day." Dr. Rubin explains that, "the Taliban, more often than not, will capture cities and towns based on political deals, based on a sense of momentum, based on side deals with which they cut, rather than actually having to fight for them."