Crowds of people had surged onto the runway at the airport in Kabul during the final days of the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan.
Tag Archives: Afghanistan War (2001- )
The Corpse of a Russian Soldier, and the Cold but Human Urge to Look
Why does war’s wreckage — the downed helicopters, the destroyed tanks and the dead — draw crowds? A former Marine ponders the question as he stands before the badly burned body of a Russian fighter.
These Veterans Started Businesses Inspired by Their Deployments
Some veterans have started businesses that draw from their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, and thrived.
Afghanistan Tries to Stamp Out Opium Again
The multibillion-dollar trade has survived previous bans. Now, the Taliban are going after solar-powered water pumps to try to dry up poppy crops in the middle of a national economic crisis.
Biden Approves Plan to Redeploy Several Hundred Ground Forces Into Somalia
The president also signed off on targeting about a dozen Shabab leaders in the war-torn country, from which Donald J. Trump largely withdrew in his final weeks in office.
In Afghanistan, Collecting Scrap Metal Is a Risky Pursuit
Discarded metal left by decades of conflict has become a livelihood for impoverished Afghans. But many have been killed by unexploded munitions.
Eid Under the Taliban Shows a Changed Afghanistan
For many Afghans the holiday this week served as a reminder of the dissonance between the promise of peace many had imagined and the realities of the end of the war.
‘I Lost Everything’: Pakistani Airstrikes Escalate Conflict on Afghan Border
The airstrikes killed at least 45 people, stoking fears of a violent resurgence of the conflict in eastern Afghanistan, which has become a base for Pakistani militants.
Seeking Arms for Ukraine, Pentagon Buyers Scour Eastern European Factories
Soviet-designed ammunition is part of the ‘life blood’ for Ukrainian troops fighting Russia, and the United States is keeping it flowing.
Afghan Restaurateurs Provide Hope to Refugees Fleeing the Taliban
In Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., established Afghan restaurateurs are reaching out to help refugees fleeing the return of the Taliban.
The Casualties at the Other End of the Remote-Controlled Kill
Capt. Kevin Larson was one of the best drone pilots in the U.S. Air Force. Yet as the job weighed on him and untold others, the military failed to recognize its full impact. He fled into the California wilderness.
More Russians Consider Costs of War in Ukraine as Casualties Mount
Many Russians have been in the dark about their country’s losses. As news of more Russian deaths arrives, the reactions range from anger at the Kremlin to parroting the state’s messaging that blames “Nazis’’ in Ukraine.
Taliban Take On a Treacherous, Avalanche-Prone Pass
After overthrowing the government, the Taliban are now trying to save what’s left of the roads they spent years blowing up, with none more critical than a two-mile-high pass through the Hindu Kush.
Taliban Outlaw Opium Poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan
The move will have far-reaching consequences for the many farmers who turned to the illicit crop as a brutal drought and economic crisis have gripped the country.
Desperate for Cash, Afghans Toil in Mines That Are Deadlier Than Ever
Faced with life-threatening hunger, thousands labor in the coal mines of Baghlan. But safety measures that the former government once provided are gone.
Afghan Refugees in U.K. Still in Limbo as Ukrainians Arrive
Some 12,000 Afghans who fled to Britain have been living in hotels for months awaiting permanent housing. This has raised questions about the country’s ability to take in many more escaping Ukraine.
Why Can’t Spy Agencies Predict a Country’s Will to Fight?
U.S. intelligence agencies thought the Afghan military would last longer and predicted Kyiv would fall faster, showing the difficulty of assessing fighting spirit.
A Bomb Crater as Business Partner for a Pit Stop on an Afghan Highway
Along a lonely stretch of what was once the most dangerous road in Afghanistan, everyone slows down when they reach Hafiz Qadim’s mud brick shop. It’s not the food. Or the gas. It’s the big hole.
Biden Offers Protected Status to Afghans Already in the United States
The program does not provide a path to a green card or citizenship, which many advocates say is warranted for Afghans who risked their lives to assist U.S. forces.
Russia’s Ukraine Invasion Rallies a Divided Nation: The United States
Americans across the political spectrum express broad support for Ukraine, though opinions diverge on what that means and how far the U.S. response should go.
Afghan Aviators Hide as Taliban Urge Them to Return to Duty
Many former Afghan Air Force members fear they could be killed by the Taliban if they came out of hiding, but others have joined the nascent Taliban air force.
In Texas, Biden Says New Legislation Could Expand Benefits for Burn Pit Victims
The president is focused on veterans who fell ill after breathing in toxic materials from burning waste in Iraq and Afghanistan, exposure that he believes contributed to the death of his elder son.
The Smugglers’ Paradise of Afghanistan
For decades, the smuggling trade — of people, drugs and money — has dominated Nimruz Province. Now, as hundreds of thousands of Afghans try to flee, business has further boomed for those who hold the keys to the gate.
Taliban Search Operation Echoes Resented U.S. Tactics in Afghanistan
An intrusive sweep that has spanned several provinces risks alienating Afghans and fueling the insurgency the new government is trying to stop.
The One Item They Had to Take When These 6 Afghans Fled
More than 120,000 people were airlifted out of Afghanistan last August, most with just a few hours to gather their belongings. Here are some of the keepsakes they chose.
To Preserve Its Own Stability, Pakistan Must Stabilize Afghanistan First
Analysts say that the Taliban takeover has sparked a spike in terror attacks that have put the Pakistani government in a difficult position as it tries to support Afghanistan’s new government.
If Joe Biden Doesn’t Change Course, This Will Be His Worst Failure
“The current humanitarian crisis could kill far more Afghans than the past 20 years of war.”
Young Boy Dies in Afghanistan After Being Trapped in a Well
The boy, Haidar Jan, who was thought to be 5, fell into a roughly 85-foot-deep well on Tuesday in a village near Qalat, the capital of Zabul Province.
U.S. Warns Americans Abroad Not to Count on a Rescue
In Ukraine and Ethiopia, Biden officials have made clear that the 2021 Kabul airlift was a “unique” operation that won’t be repeated.
Afghans Who Bet on Fast Path to the U.S. Are Facing a Closed Door
Only a handful of applications for entry on urgent humanitarian grounds have been processed, and most have been denied.
The Unrescued
After the U.S. withdrew, thousands of Afghans have been trying to escape. But how do we decide who deserves refuge?
Afghan Diplomats Seek Permission to Remain in U.S.
American banks have suspended government accounts to prevent the Taliban from gaining access to funds, suspending the salaries of many workers.
Biden’s Decision on Frozen Funds Stokes Anger Among Afghans
“It is a cruel act and a betrayal,” one shopkeeper said of the White House’s move to essentially seize funds held by the Afghan central bank.
Taliban Are Holding 2 Westerners Working for U.N., Agency Says
The two former journalists and their Afghan colleagues were detained in the Afghan capital in recent days. The Taliban have not confirmed or explained.
Biden Should Bring the U.S. Military Back From Iraq
The U.S. withdrew its forces from Afghanistan last year. This year, it should withdraw its forces from Iraq.
The Crisis That Defined Blinken’s First Year
As the secretary of state enters his second year in office, Russia threatens, China looms and Afghanistan remains a challenge.
Afghan Refugees Face Two-Tier System in Europe
Educated elites evacuated to Europe after the Taliban’s return are welcomed, but they struggle with their lives in exile, even as their poorer compatriots are shunned.
Lone ISIS Bomber Carried Out Kabul Airport Attack, U.S. Says
The suicide bombing killed as many as 170 civilians and 13 U.S. troops in the final days of U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan.
On Patrol: 12 Days With a Taliban Police Unit in Kabul
Tasked with guarding a Shiite shrine, a police unit offers a telling snapshot of the Taliban’s rank-and-file fighters and the challenges Afghanistan’s rulers face in governing a diverse nation.
Austin Orders Military to Step Up Efforts to Prevent Civilian Harm
A new directive outlines steps intended to change how commanders think about their jobs, after New York Times investigations into botched airstrikes.
C.I.A.-Backed Afghan Fighters Are Still Waiting to Reach U.S.
Commandos who played a key role in helping American forces are waiting for visas in the United Arab Emirates, and are among the last of the evacuated Afghans to get a chance to reach the United States.
Threatened and Beaten, Afghan Women Defy Taliban With Protests
The Taliban have begun cracking down harder as women insist on their rights and as Western governments call for reforms.
‘Why Was I Born a Girl?’ An Afghan Poem Inspires U.S. Students
A Zoom connection between high schoolers in Afghanistan and San Diego opens a window for mutual support.
We Must Stop Showering the Military With Money
America faces lots of challenges. A blank check for the Pentagon doesn’t help solve them.
The Taliban Have Staffing Issues. They Are Looking for Help in Pakistan.
Government jobs are given as patronage to ex-fighters and exiles living quietly in Pakistan. But not all possess the technical skills required for the job.
The Soldiers Came Home Sick. The Government Denied It Was Responsible.
U.S. service members and veterans have long insisted that the military’s garbage-disposal fires in war zones made them ill. Why were their claims stonewalled for so long?
U.S. Military Focusing on ISIS Cell Behind Attack at Kabul Airport
The suicide bomber who killed nearly 200 people, including 13 U.S. troops, had been freed from prison by the Taliban days before the attack.
Aiding Afghan Refugees in the U.S.
Readers discuss hosting an Afghan family, urge helping needy Americans first and suggest a G.I. Bill for Afghans. Also: Is the Supreme Court partisan?
Ashraf Ghani, Former Afghan President, Says He Fled Nation to ‘Save Kabul’
In his first interview since escaping Afghanistan as the Taliban advanced on the capital, Ashraf Ghani defended himself against charges that he abandoned his country in its hour of need.
In 2021, We Were There: The Year’s 14 Most Popular Dispatches
Not even a pandemic, wars or autocrats could prevent our correspondents from seeking out secrets and surprises to share with readers. They sent dispatches from 40 countries on six continents.