Afghanistan’s embattled president has left the country, joining his fellow citizens and foreigners in a stampede fleeing the advancing Taliban and signalling the end of a 20-year Western experiment aimed at remaking Afghanistan. Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council, confirmed in an online video that President Ghani had left on Sunday. “The former president of Afghanistan left Afghanistan, leaving the country in this difficult situation,” Abdullah said. Local media reported that Ghani left for Tajikistan. Abdullah said he wants security forces to continue providing security for Kabul and asked the Taliban to wait for talks before entering the city.

Source: The Nation August 15, 2021 16:30 UTC