5 years after the U.S. left, Afghan allies reflect on life under Taliban rule

Live updates

1. 20d ago

   Afghan allies face legal limbo and systemic hardship five years after U.S. exit

   Thousands of Afghan allies remain in legal limbo as the Trump administration restricts their ability to resettle in the United States. This coincides with the fifth anniversary of the 2021 withdrawal and the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. troops and 170 civilians. While the Taliban maintains strict control, some Afghan women are attempting to resist through entrepreneurship and creating jobs for other women. The current environment remains defined by a struggle for legal recognition abroad and economic survival within Afghanistan.

   Why it matters

   The U.S. military withdrawal in 2021 ended two decades of conflict but left many local partners vulnerable to Taliban retaliation. The transition shifted the crisis from an active war to a long-term humanitarian and legal struggle for those who aided American forces.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The Trump administration is making it more difficult for tens of thousands of Afghans to arrive and resettle in the United States.
   • A publication called The Path to Zero describes the Biden administration's 2021 retreat as hasty.
   • Some Afghan women are turning to entrepreneurship as a method of fighting the current regime.

   What to watch next

   • Changes to U.S. immigration policy regarding Special Immigrant Visas for Afghans
   • Official Taliban policy shifts regarding women's employment in the private sector
   Sources used for this update (4)

   1. Foreign Policy — The Taliban’s Next Five Years
   2. Le Monde.fr — 'My way of fighting is by giving women work': Afghan women turn to entrepreneurship
   3. newrepublic.com — The Ongoing Betrayal of Our Afghan Allies
   4. nypost.com — True horrors of Biden’s Afghan pullout emerge on 5th anniversary of suicide bomb: ‘Witness to atrocities, war crimes’
   confidence 70%
2. 24d ago

   Afghan Allies and Women Mark Five Years of Taliban Rule

   Afghan allies and women face severe restrictions five years after the U.S. withdrawal and the Taliban takeover. Women and girls have vanished from public life as the Taliban established a system described by some as enslavement. Reports indicate a climate of terror for women, including allegations of abuse within the prison system despite official rhetoric regarding purity and morality. Former allies continue to reflect on the consequences of the U.S. departure and the current state of life under the regime.

   Why it matters

   The U.S. military withdrawal five years ago led to the rapid collapse of the Afghan government. This transition returned power to the Taliban, who have since implemented strict interpretations of Sharia law. The shift has fundamentally altered the legal and social status of women and those who collaborated with foreign forces.

   What is confirmed

   • Five years have passed since the U.S. left Afghanistan and the Taliban took over.
   • Women and girls have disappeared from public life in Afghanistan.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Taliban officials strip women in prison despite preaching purity and morality.

   What to watch next

   • International diplomatic responses to the five-year anniversary of the takeover.
   Sources used for this update (5)

   1. PBS — 5 years after the U.S. left, Afghan allies reflect on life under Taliban rule
   2. The Guardian — The Taliban have built a system for enslaving women in Afghanistan | Tala Elissa
   3. Democracy Now! — 5 Years After Taliban Takeover, Women & Girls in Afghanistan Have Disappeared from Public Life
   4. The New York Times — Opinion | A Bitter Anniversary for Afghan Women
   5. Le Monde.fr — 'The Taliban preach purity and morality, but rush to strip women in prison': A land of terror for Afghan women
   confidence 80%