-
Former Afghan president describes moment he fled the Taliban

The BBC reported that Afghanistan's former president has defended his decision to flee the country as the Taliban closed in earlier this year, saying he did it to prevent the destruction of Kabul.
Ashraf Ghani revealed that when he woke up on 15 August he had "no inkling" it would be his last day in Afghanistan.
Mr Ghani said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that it was only when his plane left Kabul that he realised he was going.
Mr Ghani made the comments in conversation with Gen Sir Nick Carter, the UK's former Chief of the Defence Staff, who was guest-editing the Today programme on Thursday.
As the day started, Mr Ghani recalled, Taliban fighters had agreed not to enter Kabul - "but two hours later, this was not the case".

"Two different factions of the Taliban were closing in from two different directions," Mr Ghani explained. "And the possibility of a massive conflict between them that would destroy the city of five million and bring havoc to the people was enormous."
He agreed to let a number of those close to him leave Kabul - including his wife, who he said did so very reluctantly. His national security advisor also left, and Mr Ghani waited for a car to take him to the ministry of defence.
Ashraf Ghani apologises to Afghan people for fleeing out of the country
The car never came. Instead, the national security advisor returned, along with the "terrified" chief of presidential security, and told Mr Ghani they would "all be killed" if he took a stand.
"He did not give me more than two minutes," Mr Ghani said. "My instructions had been to prepare for departure for [the city of] Khost. He told me that Khost had fallen and so had Jalalabad.
"I did not know where we will go. Only when we took off, it became clear that we were leaving [Afghanistan]. So this really was sudden."
Ashraf Ghani’s brother announces support for Taliban
Allegations that Mr Ghani had taken vast amounts of money also emerged - something he emphatically denied, welcoming an international investigation that he said would clear his name.
"I want to categorically state, I did not take any money out of the country," he said, adding: "My style of life is known to everyone. What would I do with money?"
Mr Ghani acknowledged mistakes were made, including "assuming that the patience of the international community would last".
Ashraf Ghani left Kabul to prevent 'bloodshed', took $169 million in cash with him
However, he pointed to the agreement made between the Taliban and the US under then-President Donald Trump, which paved the way for the events leading to 15 August.
"Instead of a peace process, we got a withdrawal process," Mr Ghani said. The way the deal was done, Mr Ghani added, "erased us".
Under the terms of the deal, the US agreed to reduce its forces and those of its allies, as well as providing for a prisoner swap - after which the militant group agreed to talks with the Afghan government.
The talks did not work: by summer 2021, with US President Joe Biden promising to withdraw the last troops by 11 September, the Taliban were sweeping across Afghanistan, taking city after city.

What happened in the end, Mr Ghani said, was "a violent coup, not a political agreement, or a political process where the people have been involved".
The same day Mr Ghani left Kabul, the Taliban took control. Since then, the country has been thrown into an humanitarian and economic crisis, made worse by the removal of international support after the group seized power.
Three months on, Mr Ghani says he is willing to take the blame for some things which led to the fall of Kabul - like trusting "in our international partnership".
However, he added: "My life work has been destroyed. My values had been trampled on. And I have been made a scapegoat."
Source: BBC
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!