The Fall of Afghanistan – I Am an Eyewitness

Disastrous Exit. Broken Promises. Living the Fear.

With the rapid collapse of Afghan cities, the country fell into complete chaos—security evaporated and the economy crumbled. I remember how Commander Ismail Khan, a respected jihadi figure, stood by the government forces in Herat with his loyal men. Some were killed fighting to delay the city’s fall.

Rumors spread that if one could make it to Kabul Airport, escape was possible. People told wild stories—like a rickshaw driver who dropped goods at the airport and ended up boarding a plane out. But reaching Kabul was full of deadly risks: arrests, detentions, and even suicide bombings awaited those who tried.

I believed international organizations would help. But they didn’t. We were alone. I clearly felt the fear growing, knowing what the Taliban’s rule had been like before—force, torture, and misogyny.

Assassinations in Herat brought the fear of death close to home, as some occurred only blocks away from where I lived.