reclaimed control of Afghan capital

Then–Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says his split-second decision to flee Kabul was informed by a desire to avoid the humiliation to the nation of a surrender to the insurgents

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban on Monday marked a year since they seized the Afghan capital of Kabul, a rapid takeover that triggered a hasty escape of the nation’s Western-backed leaders, sent the economy into a tailspin and fundamentally transformed the country.

Bearded Taliban fighters, some hoisting rifles or the white banners of their movement, staged small victory parades on foot, bicycles and motorcycles in the streets of the capital. One small group marched past the former U.S. Embassy, chanting “Long live Islam” and “Death to America.”

See: U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan kills al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri

From the archives (August 2021): Top U.S. general warns of greater terrorism threat from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan

Also (March 2020): Pompeo says violence upsurge after Taliban peace deal is not unexpected

A year after the dramatic day, much has changed in Afghanistan. The former insurgents struggle to govern and remain internationally isolated. The economic downturn has driven millions more Afghans into poverty and even hunger, as the flow of foreign aid slowed to a trickle.