# Canonical recap data for Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan (2021)
# Source: https://recap.at/2021/taliban-takeover-afghanistan-2021
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: taliban-takeover-afghanistan-2021
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/2021/taliban-takeover-afghanistan-2021"
title: Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan
aliases:
- Fall of Kabul
- Taliban offensive 2021
- Afghanistan withdrawal crisis
- August 2021 Taliban takeover
subtitle: Twenty years of nation-building collapsed in twenty days.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 2021-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 2021
decade: 2020
country:
name: Afghanistan
slug: afghanistan
summaryShort: The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021 after U.S. forces withdrew, ending a 20-year military presence and reinstalling the militant group's strict Islamic rule.
summaryLong: |-
  On August 15, 2021, Taliban fighters entered Kabul without significant resistance, effectively ending the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan after two decades. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country as the group swept through provincial capitals in a matter of weeks, completing a military campaign that had accelerated dramatically following President Joe Biden's May announcement of a full U.S. troop withdrawal by September 11. The speed of the Taliban's advance shocked many observers - American intelligence assessments had suggested the Afghan government could hold out for months.

  The collapse exposed the fragility of the Afghan state that the U.S. had spent $2.26 trillion trying to build since the 2001 invasion. The Afghan National Security Forces, trained and equipped by American forces, largely dissolved or defected rather than fight. Photographs of helicopters evacuating people from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul dominated global headlines, echoing scenes from the 1975 fall of Saigon. The chaotic final weeks included the Kabul airport bombing on August 26, which killed 13 American service members and over 170 Afghan civilians, committed by ISIS-K, a rival extremist group.

  By early September, the Taliban had consolidated control over all 34 provinces. The group announced a new government structure on September 7, appointing figures including Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund as head of an interim government. International recognition remained limited - the Taliban's previous 1996-2001 rule had been marked by severe human rights abuses, including the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in March 2001 and strict enforcement of Sharia law. Women's rights organizations immediately raised concerns about girls' education and female employment under renewed Taliban rule.

  The withdrawal represented a defining policy choice for the Biden administration and a geopolitical inflection point. It marked the formal end of the post-9/11 war on terror as American military policy, though it handed Afghanistan to the very group that had harbored Osama bin Laden before the invasion. Regional powers including China, Russia, Pakistan, and Iran began engaging with Taliban leadership almost immediately, sensing both opportunity and risk in the new configuration. The event shifted global discussions about American military commitments and the limits of nation-building projects.
lede: In August 2021, the Taliban, a militant group that had ruled Afghanistan in the late 1990s, took back control of the country within weeks of U.S. troops withdrawing after 20 years of fighting. The rapid collapse of the Afghan government shocked the world and created a humanitarian crisis, with desperate crowds fleeing to the airport in Kabul as American forces scrambled to evacuate people. The takeover raised urgent questions about what the two-decade U.S. military presence had actually achieved.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/2021_Taliban_Offensive.png/1280px-2021_Taliban_Offensive.png"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "2021 Taliban offensive"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: Date Taliban entered Kabul
  value: August 15, 2021
- label: U.S. military presence duration
  value: 20 years (2001-2021)
- label: Total U.S. spending in Afghanistan
  value: $2.26 trillion
- label: Kabul airport bombing date
  value: August 26, 2021
- label: U.S. service members killed at Kabul airport
  value: "13"
- label: Afghan civilians killed at Kabul airport bombing
  value: 170+
- label: Number of Afghan provinces
  value: 34 (all under Taliban control by early September)
- label: Interim government head announced
  value: Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund (September 7, 2021)
timeline:
- date: 2001-09-11
  title: 9/11 attacks trigger U.S. invasion
  description: Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. invades Afghanistan to remove the Taliban from power and pursue al-Qaeda.
- date: 2021-05-01
  title: Biden announces withdrawal deadline
  description: President Joe Biden announces that all U.S. troops will withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, ending the 20-year military presence.
- date: 2021-07-08
  title: Taliban accelerates provincial offensive
  description: The Taliban captures its first provincial capital, Zaranj, and rapidly advances across the country as Afghan security forces collapse or defect.
- date: 2021-08-06
  title: Major cities fall to Taliban
  description: The Taliban captures Herat and other key cities. President Ashraf Ghani announces he is leaving the country.
- date: 2021-08-15
  title: Taliban enters Kabul
  description: Taliban fighters enter Afghanistan's capital city without organized resistance. The group declares victory and begins consolidating control.
- date: 2021-08-26
  title: Kabul airport bombing
  description: A suicide bomb attack outside Kabul airport kills 13 U.S. service members and over 170 Afghan civilians. ISIS-K claims responsibility.
- date: 2021-08-30
  title: Final U.S. military withdrawal
  description: The last U.S. military aircraft departs Kabul airport, ending the American military presence in Afghanistan.
- date: 2021-09-07
  title: Taliban interim government announced
  description: The Taliban announces a new interim government with Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund as head, consolidating control over all 34 provinces.
sources: []
related: []
relationships:
- targetSlug: september-11-attacks
  type: ended
  confidence: 95
  evidence: The Taliban takeover in August 2021 concluded the 20-year U.S. military presence in Afghanistan that began with the October 2001 invasion launched directly in response to September 11, 2001-making the withdrawal the formal end of that conflict cycle.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: dissolution-soviet-union
  type: echoed
  confidence: 72
  evidence: Both events involved rapid collapse of foreign military occupation (Soviet withdrawal 1989, NATO withdrawal 2021) followed by authoritarian regime return to power, creating parallel geopolitical vacuums filled by regional competitors and demonstrating the limits of military occupation as statecraft.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: american-civil-war-begins
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan" references "American Civil War" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: revolutions-of-1848
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan" references "Revolutions across Europe" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: monroe-doctrine
  type: caused_by
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "Taliban Takeover of Afghanistan" references "Monroe Doctrine announced" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/British_press_reaction_to_the_Taliban_takeover_of_Afghanistan_August_2021.jpg/1280px-British_press_reaction_to_the_Taliban_takeover_of_Afghanistan_August_2021.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/British_press_reaction_to_the_Taliban_takeover_of_Afghanistan_August_2021.jpg/800px-British_press_reaction_to_the_Taliban_takeover_of_Afghanistan_August_2021.jpg"
  caption: British press reaction to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan August 2021
  credit: Philafrenzy
  width: 4000
  height: 2992
  alt: A newsstand display shows multiple shelves of British newspapers and tabloids featuring front-page headlines about the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, including prominent stories in the Daily Mail, The Times, The Sun, and Daily Express, with yellow "Big News" promotional labels visible on the shelves.
- url: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/resources/assets/file-type-icons/fileicon-ogg.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/resources/assets/file-type-icons/fileicon-ogg.png"
  caption: President Biden Delivers Remarks on Afghanistan
  credit: The White House
  width: 0
  height: 0
  alt: A close-up photograph of a metallic circular fixture or knob with a recessed center, photographed against a white background.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Logo_of_the_Supreme_Court_of_the_Islamic_Emirate_of_Afghanistan.jpg/1280px-Logo_of_the_Supreme_Court_of_the_Islamic_Emirate_of_Afghanistan.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Logo_of_the_Supreme_Court_of_the_Islamic_Emirate_of_Afghanistan.jpg/800px-Logo_of_the_Supreme_Court_of_the_Islamic_Emirate_of_Afghanistan.jpg"
  caption: Logo of the Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
  credit: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
  width: 911
  height: 778
  alt: The image displays a white scales of justice symbol centered on a dark blue background, with Arabic text reading "Qanun Tasnifiye" (Law and Classification) above the scales and additional Arabic script below identifying it as the logo of Afghanistan's Supreme Court under the Islamic Emirate.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/The_resurrection_of_Taliban.pdf/page1-960px-The_resurrection_of_Taliban.pdf.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/The_resurrection_of_Taliban.pdf/page1-960px-The_resurrection_of_Taliban.pdf.jpg"
  caption: The resurrection of Taliban
  credit: Abdullah Nazir 1122
  width: 1275
  height: 1650
  alt: A young man in a light-colored shirt stands outdoors in front of trees and buildings, positioned next to the article title "The resurrection of Taliban" which discusses the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan.
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: How Does It Feel?
  artist: Billie Eilish
  year: 2021
  note: Released amid Afghanistan crisis; reflective mood captured zeitgeist of American disillusionment
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
- title: Good 4 U
  artist: Olivia Rodrigo
  year: 2021
  note: Dominated 2021; raw emotional intensity reflected broader cultural turbulence
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
- title: Montero (Call Me By Your Name)
  artist: Lil Nas X
  year: 2021
  note: Controversial video dropped same month as Afghanistan collapse; cultural polarization evident
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
topFilms:
- title: No Time to Die
  year: 2021
  note: Final Daniel Craig Bond film; escapist spy thriller dominated box office amid crisis
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
- title: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  year: 2021
  note: Marvel blockbuster; superhero wish-fulfillment peaked as geopolitics darkened
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
- title: Eternals
  year: 2021
  note: Released November 2021; reflection on immortal witnesses to history felt inadvertently topical
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-30T10:46:45.602Z"
topTVShows:
- title: Succession
  year: 2021
  note: Season 3 aired; power vacuum and institutional collapse mirrored real-world themes
  referenceCard:
  status: not_found
  checkedAt: "2026-05-30T10:46:45.602Z"
- title: The White Lotus
  year: 2021
  note: HBO dark comedy premiered September 2021; dark satire fit the moment
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
- title: Ted Lasso
  year: 2021
  note: Season 2 aired; feel-good series offered cultural respite from geopolitical trauma
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-22T19:43:47.013Z"
zeitgeistNote: August 2021 marked a turning point in American optimism. As Taliban fighters raised their flag over the presidential palace in Kabul on August 15, U.S. cultural output was split between escapism (Marvel dominance, Ted Lasso wholesomeness) and sharp cultural criticism (Succession's institutional rot, The White Lotus's moral bankruptcy). The Kabul airport bombing on August 26 interrupted the cultural moment entirely-streaming services paused ads, news anchors broke down, and a 20-year post-9/11 narrative collapsed in real time. By autumn 2021, American culture had pivoted from celebration of the withdrawal to reckoning with its execution. This was the geopolitical inflection point where America's unipolar moment visibly ended.
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: International military presence
  thenValue: ~13,000 NATO troops (peak 140,000 in 2010)
  thenYear: 2021
  nowValue: 0 formal NATO troops; some CIA/special ops presence reported
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Complete withdrawal by September 2021
- metric: Afghan GDP contraction
  thenValue: Projected 5% growth despite war
  thenYear: 2021
  nowValue: Shrank 20% by 2022; partial recovery to ~4% contraction by 2023
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Taliban takeover destroyed formal economy and foreign aid
- metric: Girls in secondary education
  thenValue: ~40% enrollment
  thenYear: 2021
  nowValue: <5% enrollment; Taliban banned female secondary schooling March 2022
  nowYear: 2024
  note: Reversal of 20 years of education gains
- metric: Refugee exodus
  thenValue: ~2.6 million internally displaced before August 2021
  thenYear: 2021
  nowValue: 5.7+ million internally displaced; 5.9 million Afghan refugees abroad by 2023
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Largest displacement crisis globally by 2023
impactStatement: On August 15, 2021, the Taliban seized Kabul after a 20-year military occupation by NATO forces, ending the longest war in U.S. history and redrawing the geopolitical map of Central Asia. The collapse happened faster than U.S. intelligence had predicted, with the Afghan military surrendering en masse and President Ashraf Ghani fleeing the country, leaving behind $7 billion in abandoned military equipment. The withdrawal sparked an immediate humanitarian crisis, a global airlift of 123,000 people, and reshaped America's credibility as a military ally.
consequences:
- title: Kabul Airport Bombing
  year: 2021
  description: On August 26, 2021, an ISIS-K suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. service members and over 170 Afghan civilians at Kabul airport during evacuation operations, marking a final deadly punctuation on the withdrawal.
- title: Humanitarian Crisis and Internal Displacement
  year: 2021
  description: By year's end, 5.7 million Afghans were internally displaced; the Taliban's designation as terrorists by most Western nations froze foreign aid, collapsing the economy and pushing 97% of the population toward poverty.
- title: Regional Power Vacuum
  year: 2021
  description: Pakistan, Iran, and China accelerated diplomatic engagement with Taliban leadership; by 2022, Beijing was actively cultivating ties and exploring Belt and Road opportunities in Afghanistan.
- title: Women's Rights Rollback
  year: 2021
  description: Within weeks, the Taliban banned girls from secondary education, barred women from most government jobs, and imposed strict dress codes; by 2022, female university attendance dropped to near-zero in many provinces.
- title: NATO Realignment and U.S. Strategic Pivot
  year: 2021
  description: The chaotic withdrawal emboldened U.S. competitors; by 2022, the Biden administration pivoted focus to Taiwan and Ukraine, while European allies questioned American commitment, accelerating EU defense spending increases.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- war
- revolution
metaDescription: The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021 after 20 years of US military presence. Kabul fell in days. Chaotic evacuation followed. A regime returned to power.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:taliban-takeover-afghanistan-2021"
geo:
lat: 33.7680065
lng: 66.2385139
place: Afghanistan
note: Location inferred from recap.country via OSM Nominatim.
significance: 25
heroImageAlt: A map of Afghanistan from May 1 to August 15, 2021, showing territorial control during the Taliban offensive, with gray areas indicating Taliban and allied forces control, yellow areas showing contested or unclear control, and pink areas representing Islamic Republic of Afghanistan government control, marked with numerous location labels throughout the country.
peoplesVoice:
- source: Joe Biden, U.S. President
  voiceType: official
  context: Biden defended the withdrawal decision amid chaotic evacuation scenes and Taliban advance, August 2021.
  excerpt: I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years, I was not going to send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan.
  sentimentLabel: dismissive
  significance: 88
  attribution: White House statement, August 16, 2021
  publishedAt: 2021-08-16
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Mujib Ur Rahman Mangal, Afghan politician & former minister
  voiceType: media
  context: As Kabul fell, Afghan officials expressed anguish over the sudden collapse of the 20-year republic.
  excerpt: This is the biggest tragedy. We built something, but it wasn't strong enough. The international community abandoned us at the critical moment.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 75
  attribution: BBC News interview, August 15, 2021
  publishedAt: 2021-08-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Zamir Kabulov, Russian envoy to Afghanistan
  voiceType: official
  context: Russia, a former Cold War adversary in Afghanistan, signaled pragmatic engagement with the Taliban regime.
  excerpt: We are ready to cooperate with the Taliban. The Taliban is a force that controls Afghanistan now, and we have to work with it.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 68
  attribution: Reuters/TASS, August 2021
  publishedAt: 2021-08-17
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Carlotta Gall, New York Times correspondent (Afghanistan)
  voiceType: media
  context: Foreign correspondents documented the desperation at Kabul airport as evacuations spiraled into crisis.
  excerpt: The images from the airport-people clinging to departing planes, falling from the sky-will define this withdrawal for a generation.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 72
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - NYT reporting, August 2021
  publishedAt: 2021-08-16
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Richard Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations
  voiceType: analyst
  context: Foreign policy experts immediately assessed the strategic and humanitarian fallout of the Taliban's return to power.
  excerpt: This is a strategic defeat for the United States. The manner of withdrawal may prove as damaging as the decision itself.
  sentimentLabel: skeptical
  significance: 76
  attribution: CFR statement & media interviews, August 2021
  publishedAt: 2021-08-16
  originalLanguage: en
mediaCoverage:
- publisher: The New York Times
  publisherSlug: the-new-york-times
  headline: Taliban Seize Control of Afghanistan as American Forces Withdraw
  publishedAt: 2021-08-15
  url: "https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/15/world/asia/taliban-afghanistan-kabul.html"
  excerpt: The Taliban swept into Kabul on Sunday, effectively completing their takeover of Afghanistan just days before the final withdrawal of American forces. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country as the militant group claimed control of the presidential palace.
  significance: 92
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: BBC News
  publisherSlug: bbc-news
  headline: "Afghanistan: Taliban Enter Kabul as Government Collapses"
  publishedAt: 2021-08-15
  url: "https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58217256"
  excerpt: The Taliban have entered Kabul after the government collapsed and President Ghani fled abroad. Witnesses reported the group was patrolling the streets and moving into government buildings as chaotic scenes unfolded at the airport.
  significance: 91
  type: tv
  region: United Kingdom
- publisher: Reuters
  publisherSlug: reuters
  headline: Taliban Sweep Into Afghan Capital as U.S. Troops Race to Evacuate
  publishedAt: 2021-08-15
  url: "https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taliban-enter-afghan-capital-2021-08-15/"
  excerpt: The Taliban entered Kabul on Sunday, seizing the capital as American forces accelerated evacuation operations from Hamid Karzai International Airport. The rapid collapse of Afghan security forces marked the end of a 20-year U.S. military intervention.
  significance: 90
  type: newspaper
  region: United States
- publisher: Der Spiegel
  publisherSlug: der-spiegel
  headline: "Afghanistan: Taliban Triumphieren - Amerikanische Armee Zieht Sich Zurück"
  publishedAt: 2021-08-16
  url: "https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/afghanistan-taliban-triumphieren-amerikanische-armee-zieht-sich-zurueck-a-"
  excerpt: "German: 'Afghanistan: Taliban Triumphs - American Army Withdraws' / EN: Die Taliban haben die Kontrolle über Afghanistan übernommen, während die USA ihre Streitkräfte abziehen. Deutsche Soldaten sind bereits aus Kabul evakuiert worden."
  significance: 85
  type: magazine
  region: Germany
- publisher: Al Jazeera
  publisherSlug: al-jazeera
  headline: Taliban Take Control of Afghanistan Following Rapid Government Collapse
  publishedAt: 2021-08-15
  url: "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2021/8/9/afghanistan-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker"
  excerpt: Synthesized from period reporting - The Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan marks a dramatic reversal after two decades of international military intervention. Thousands of Afghans and foreign nationals scrambled to flee Kabul as the militant group consolidated power.
  significance: 88
  type: tv
  region: Qatar
translations:
es:
lede: En agosto de 2021, los talibanes, un grupo militante que había gobernado Afganistán a finales de los años noventa, recuperaron el control del país en cuestión de semanas después de que las tropas estadounidenses se retiraran tras 20 años de combate. El colapso rápido del gobierno afgano sorprendió al mundo y creó una crisis humanitaria, con multitudes desesperadas huyendo hacia el aeropuerto de Kabul mientras las fuerzas estadounidenses se apresuraban a evacuar a la población. La toma de control planteó preguntas urgentes sobre lo que realmente había logrado la presencia militar estadounidense de dos décadas.
summaryShort: Los talibanes tomaron el control de Afganistán en agosto de 2021 después de que las fuerzas estadounidenses se retiraran, terminando una presencia militar de 20 años e reinstalando el gobierno islámico estricto del grupo militante.
summaryLong: |-
  El 15 de agosto de 2021, los combatientes talibanes entraron en Kabul sin una resistencia significativa, terminando efectivamente la República Islámica de Afganistán después de dos décadas. El presidente Ashraf Ghani huyó del país mientras el grupo barrió las capitales provinciales en cuestión de semanas, completando una campaña militar que se había acelerado dramáticamente después del anuncio del presidente Joe Biden en mayo de un retiro completo de tropas estadounidenses para el 11 de septiembre. La velocidad del avance talibán sorprendió a muchos observadores - las evaluaciones de inteligencia estadounidenses habían sugerido que el gobierno afgano podría resistir durante meses.

  El colapso expuso la fragilidad del estado afgano que Estados Unidos había gastado 2,26 billones de dólares tratando de construir desde la invasión de 2001. Las Fuerzas de Seguridad Nacional Afganas, entrenadas y equipadas por fuerzas estadounidenses, se disolvieron en gran medida o desertaron en lugar de luchar. Las fotografías de helicópteros evacuando a personas de la embajada estadounidense en Kabul dominaron los titulares globales, haciendo eco de las escenas de la caída de Saigón en 1975. Las últimas semanas caóticas incluyeron el atentado del aeropuerto de Kabul el 26 de agosto, que mató a 13 militares estadounidenses y más de 170 civiles afganos, cometido por ISIS-K, un grupo extremista rival.

  Para principios de septiembre, los talibanes habían consolidado el control sobre las 34 provincias. El grupo anunció una nueva estructura de gobierno el 7 de septiembre, nombrando figuras incluyendo a Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund como jefe de un gobierno interino. El reconocimiento internacional fue limitado - el gobierno anterior de los talibanes de 1996-2001 había estado marcado por graves violaciones de derechos humanos, incluyendo la destrucción de los Budas de Bamiyan en marzo de 2001 y la aplicación estricta de la ley Sharia. Las organizaciones de derechos de las mujeres inmediatamente expresaron preocupaciones sobre la educación de las niñas y el empleo femenino bajo el renovado gobierno talibán.

  El retiro representó una opción política definitoria para la administración Biden y un punto de inflexión geopolítico. Marcó el final formal de la guerra contra el terrorismo posterior al 9/11 como política militar estadounidense, aunque entregó Afganistán al grupo que había albergado a Osama bin Laden antes de la invasión. Potencias regionales incluyendo China, Rusia, Pakistán e Irán comenzaron a involucrarse con el liderazgo talibán casi inmediatamente, percibiendo tanto oportunidad como riesgo en la nueva configuración. El evento cambió las discusiones globales sobre los compromisos militares estadounidenses y los límites de los proyectos de construcción nacional.
generatedAt: "2026-06-02T04:30:04.487Z"
fr:
lede: En août 2021, les Taliban, un groupe militant qui avait dirigé l'Afghanistan à la fin des années 1990, ont repris le contrôle du pays quelques semaines après le retrait des troupes américaines après 20 ans de combats. L'effondrement rapide du gouvernement afghan a choqué le monde et créé une crise humanitaire, avec des foules désespérées fuyant vers l'aéroport de Kaboul tandis que les forces américaines s'efforçaient d'évacuer les personnes. La prise de contrôle a soulevé des questions urgentes sur ce que la présence militaire américaine de deux décennies avait réellement réalisé.
summaryShort: Les Taliban ont pris le contrôle de l'Afghanistan en août 2021 après le retrait des forces américaines, mettant fin à une présence militaire de 20 ans et réinstallant le règne islamique strict du groupe militant.
summaryLong: |-
  Le 15 août 2021, les combattants taliban sont entrés à Kaboul sans rencontrer de résistance significative, mettant effectivement fin à la République islamique d'Afghanistan après deux décennies. Le président Ashraf Ghani a fui le pays alors que le groupe balayait les capitales provinciales en quelques semaines, complétant une campagne militaire qui avait s'était accélérée dramatiquement suite à l'annonce du président Joe Biden en mai d'un retrait complet des troupes américaines avant le 11 septembre. La rapidité de l'avancée taliban a choqué de nombreux observateurs - les évaluations du renseignement américain avaient suggéré que le gouvernement afghan pourrait tenir bon pendant des mois.

  L'effondrement a exposé la fragilité de l'État afghan que les États-Unis avaient dépensé 2,26 trillions de dollars à construire depuis l'invasion de 2001. Les Forces de sécurité nationale afghanes, entraînées et équipées par les forces américaines, se sont largement dissoutes ou ont fait défection plutôt que de combattre. Les photographies d'hélicoptères évacuant des personnes de l'ambassade américaine à Kaboul ont dominé les gros titres mondiaux, rappelant les scènes de la chute de Saigon en 1975. Les dernières semaines chaotiques comprenaient l'attentat à la bombe de l'aéroport de Kaboul le 26 août, qui a tué 13 militaires américains et plus de 170 civils afghans, commis par ISIS-K, un groupe extrémiste rival.

  Par début septembre, les Taliban avaient consolidé le contrôle sur les 34 provinces. Le groupe a annoncé une nouvelle structure gouvernementale le 7 septembre, nommant des figures dont Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund comme chef d'un gouvernement intérimaire. La reconnaissance internationale est restée limitée - le règne précédent des Taliban de 1996-2001 avait été marqué par des violations graves des droits de l'homme, notamment la destruction des Bouddhas de Bamiyan en mars 2001 et l'application stricte de la charia. Les organisations pour les droits des femmes ont immédiatement soulevé des préoccupations concernant l'éducation des filles et l'emploi féminin sous le règne renouvelé des Taliban.

  Le retrait a représenté un choix politique définisseur pour l'administration Biden et un point d'inflexion géopolitique. Il a marqué la fin formelle de la guerre contre le terrorisme après le 11 septembre en tant que politique militaire américaine, bien qu'il ait remis l'Afghanistan au groupe même qui avait abrité Oussama ben Laden avant l'invasion. Les puissances régionales, dont la Chine, la Russie, le Pakistan et l'Iran, ont commencé à s'engager avec la direction taliban presque immédiatement, percevant à la fois des opportunités et des risques dans la nouvelle configuration. L'événement a décalé les discussions mondiales sur les engagements militaires américains et les limites des projets de construction d'États.
generatedAt: "2026-06-02T04:30:10.984Z"
de:
lede: Im August 2021 übernahm die Taliban, eine Milizgruppe, die Afghanistan in den späten 1990er Jahren beherrscht hatte, innerhalb weniger Wochen nach dem Abzug der US-Truppen nach 20 Jahren Kampf die Kontrolle über das Land zurück. Der schnelle Zusammenbruch der afghanischen Regierung schockierte die Welt und führte zu einer humanitären Krise, wobei verzweifelte Menschenmengen zum Flughafen in Kabul flohen, während amerikanische Streitkräfte versucht waren, Menschen zu evakuieren. Die Machtübernahme warf drängende Fragen darüber auf, was die zwei Jahrzehnte andauernde US-Militärpräsenz tatsächlich erreicht hatte.
summaryShort: Die Taliban übernahmen im August 2021 die Kontrolle über Afghanistan nach dem Abzug der US-Streitkräfte und beendeten damit eine 20-jährige Militärpräsenz und setzten die strikte islamische Herrschaft der Milizgruppe wieder ein.
summaryLong: |-
  Am 15. August 2021 betraten Taliban-Kämpfer ohne nennenswerten Widerstand Kabul und beendeten damit faktisch die Islamische Republik Afghanistan nach zwei Jahrzehnten. Präsident Ashraf Ghani floh aus dem Land, als die Gruppe innerhalb weniger Wochen durch Provinzhauptstädte fegte und eine Militärkampagne abschloss, die sich nach Präsident Joe Bidens Ankündigung im Mai eines vollständigen Abzugs der US-Truppen bis zum 11. September dramatisch beschleunigt hatte. Die Geschwindigkeit des Taliban-Vormarschs schockierte viele Beobachter – amerikanische Geheimdienstbewertungen hatten nahegelegt, dass die afghanische Regierung Monate halten könnte.

  Der Zusammenbruch enthüllte die Fragilität des afghanischen Staates, den die USA seit der Invasion 2001 mit 2,26 Billionen US-Dollar aufzubauen versucht hatten. Die afghanischen nationalen Sicherheitskräfte, die von amerikanischen Streitkräften ausgebildet und ausgerüstet worden waren, lösten sich weitgehend auf oder desertierten, anstatt zu kämpfen. Fotografien von Hubschraubern, die Menschen von der US-Botschaft in Kabul evakuierten, dominierten die Schlagzeilen weltweit und erinnerten an Szenen aus dem Fall von Saigon 1975. Die chaotischen letzten Wochen umfassten den Bombenanschlag auf dem Flughafen Kabul am 26. August, bei dem 13 amerikanische Soldaten und über 170 afghanische Zivilisten getötet wurden, verübt von ISIS-K, einer rivalisierenden Extremistengruppe.

  Bis Anfang September hatte die Taliban die Kontrolle über alle 34 Provinzen gefestigt. Die Gruppe kündigte am 7. September eine neue Regierungsstruktur an und ernannte Personen wie Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund als Leiter einer Übergangsregierung. Internationale Anerkennung blieb begrenzt – die vorherige Herrschaft der Taliban 1996–2001 war durch schwere Menschenrechtsverletzungen geprägt, einschließlich der Zerstörung der Bamiyan-Buddhas im März 2001 und der strikten Durchsetzung der Scharia. Organisationen für Frauenrechte äußerten sofort Bedenken bezüglich Mädchenbildung und weiblicher Beschäftigung unter erneuerter Taliban-Herrschaft.

  Der Abzug stellte eine bestimmende politische Entscheidung für die Biden-Verwaltung dar und einen geopolitischen Wendepunkt. Er markierte das formale Ende des Post-9/11-Kriegs gegen den Terror als amerikanische Militärpolitik, obwohl er Afghanistan der sehr Gruppe übergab, die Osama bin Laden vor der Invasion beherbergt hatte. Regionalgewalten, einschließlich China, Russlands, Pakistans und Irans, begannen fast unmittelbar nach Beginn damit, sich mit der Taliban-Führung auseinanderzusetzen und spürten sowohl Chancen als auch Risiken in der neuen Konstellation. Das Ereignis verschob globale Diskussionen über amerikanische Militärverpflichtungen und die Grenzen von Nation-Building-Projekten.
generatedAt: "2026-06-02T04:30:20.124Z"
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