The last US soldiers left Afghanistan after almost 20 years. The Taliban celebrate in Kabul and speak of a historic moment. But even those who are not part of their supporters know: this is a turning point.
The man filming the scene at Kabul Airport is excited. “Maulawi Sahib, how are you feeling?” he asks another man who is walking across the grounds between several gunmen. But the men are all talking at one another. It can be heard that the Taliban fighters are congratulating each other this early Tuesday morning (local time). Gunshots can also be heard. Maulawi Sahib finally says to the camera: “Please, dear Mujahideen, don’t shoot, celebrate in a different way! Pray or be happy!”
Only shortly before the man’s warning words did the sky over Kabul calm down. For around two weeks, the noise was deafening – military planes had flown in and out of the airport in the Afghan capital, fighter jets swept over the city and rattling helicopters like shuttle services flew in and out. At midnight local time it all seemed over. Shortly before, the last US soldiers had left the airport in large military aircraft – and the US thus ended its military operation in Afghanistan after almost 20 years.
Your departure clears the way for the warning Maulawi Sahib and other Taliban fighters to enter the airport area, which they immediately explore. A reporter for the “Los Angeles Times” runs into an aircraft hangar in the military section with several fighters from a special Taliban unit. A video shows men inspecting several Chinook helicopters – they look like US soldiers. But it is the Taliban who took a lot of booty on their military conquest across the country – so much that they can hardly be distinguished from US soldiers in terms of their equipment.
“I feel helpless,” says Omid after a long pause
Maulawi Sahib’s request not to shoot in the air to celebrate the victory over the superpower USA seems to have been drowned in the general excitement. “You must have shot through for two hours,” Omid, an entrepreneur from Kabul, told the German Press Agency on the phone. Shots of joy are not uncommon in Kabul, people would fire when they celebrated a wedding, a son was born or an Afghan mixed martial arts fighter wins a competition. “But I’ve never seen anything like it.”
How is he feeling now after the Americans have left? The question infuriates the 41-year-old. “That was the stupidest evacuation operation there has ever been,” he says. “They only brought their own citizens and then thieves and criminals out of the country, and we, the ones with privileges, are still sitting here,” he complains. But what does the withdrawal of the last US soldier mean for him after 20 years in his country? “I feel helpless,” says Omid after a long pause. “I just want to leave the country with dignity.”
A soldier from Pandjir Province also answered the phone in a weak voice that he could not answer this question. “I can’t deal with it now. I have organized two minibuses to Mazar-i-Sharif, and I don’t yet know whether my family has arrived safely.” From there, the family should somehow cross the border into Uzbekistan. What the questions about the Americans should be now, he complains, and hangs up.
Fear of revenge from the Taliban
The question was answered in detail by the Taliban. Anas Hakkani was the first high-ranking Islamist to speak out. “We’re making history again. The 20-year occupation of Afghanistan by the US and NATO ended this evening. God is great.” He is very happy to see these historic moments after 20 years of jihad, of whose sacrifices and hardships he is proud of.
Taliban supporters congratulate each other on social media. “Congratulations to everyone”, it was said, “Afghanistan is free”. Others write that the myth of American invincibility was shattered in Afghanistan. And: “You had the clocks, but we had the time.”
The entrepreneur Omid is desperate that night: The time as it was is now finally over. “The Taliban will now show their true faces,” he is convinced. These are more violent and extremist than the Afghans have seen so far. So far, the Taliban have held back in Kabul. Since they came to power in mid-August, they have been more moderate and forgiving. But Omid expects that from now on they will no longer just search the homes of government officials and security forces. “They’ll be standing in front of my door soon too.”
Omid wants to tell another episode: On Friday he drove out of the city to the province around Kabul. The Taliban fighters there are completely different from those who are currently in the capital. “I’m not afraid quickly, but these people scared me,” says Omid. “Your eyes thirst for revenge.”
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