History seems to have a way of repeating itself, maybe not exactly, but we seem to see the same events play out again and again in different variations. It can be difficult to watch.

In April of 2021, President Biden announced that he would be pulling troops from Afghanistan over the following months, planning to have all American troops out of Afghanistan by September 11th, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the infamous 9/11 attacks. Prior to 9/11, the Taliban had full control over Afghanistan’s government, and was subsequently removed from power after the US removed them from power in 2001. As a result of the US troops leaving Afghanistan, the Taliban has once again gained power over the country.

The Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, fled Afghanistan, leaving an opening for the Taliban to take over. The Taliban then took control over the capital, Kabul. The Taliban is a military group based in Afghanistan, whose goal is to establish strict sharia law across the country, which would strip the country of any sort of religious freedom. As the Taliban took over, many Afghan citizens began fearing for what the future of their country held, and began to try and flee the country through the airport, one of the only routes of escape left in the country due to the fact that many of Afghanistan’s neighboring countries had closed their borders. As masses fled to the airport, chaos ensued. On august 26th, there was a bombing at the airport. Shortly following the bomb, shots were fired. There were thirteen American casualties and even more injured. 

Among concerns for the safety of Afghan citizens, many are frustrated with the amount of money that had been spent on the war, all for it to seemingly end right back where it started. Not only has it been costly in terms of money, but in lives as well. A devastating amount of lives have been lost, both US military, as well as afghan citizens. 

As of now, the future of Afghanistan is uncertain. Many are fearing for women’s rights, such as education, which may now be in danger. The horrific events that are happening in Afghanistan are devastating and extremely concerning. Many innocent people have lost their lives, or are now in a state of panic trying to evade an extremely violent and dangerous situation. It’s important to remain educated and aware of these events, to try and avoid history repeating itself once again.