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Friday, Aug 21, 2026

How the Taliban Took Over Afghanistan. Again. | Start Here

On July 8, President Biden said a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was “highly unlikely”. On August 15, they were in the presidential palace in Kabul. They’ve declared an “amnesty” across the country and urged women to join their government. But can they be trusted?
Many Afghans fear the Taliban will revert to the brutal way they ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s. Women are afraid that the rights they’ve gained in the last 20 years will be lost. And thousands are trying to get out — resulting in desperate and chaotic scenes at the airport in Kabul.

How did the Taliban takeover happen so fast? And what does this mean for Afghanistan and the people there? #AJStartHere with Sandra Gathmann explains.
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