Taliban Enter Kabul, Promise ‘Peaceful Transfer of Power’

Taliban fighters entered the capital of Kabul on Sunday, but refrained from taking over the presidential palace, saying that it was negotiating with the Afghan government for a “peaceful transfer of power.” At the same time, the US military began evacuating American diplomats and civilians, ferrying them by helicopter from the US Embassy in Kabul to the airport. The embassy is expected to be nearly completely evacuated in the next 72 hours. Afghan Interior Minister Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal said in a prerecorded speech that “the Afghan people should not worry. … There will be no attack on the city and there will be a peaceful transfer of power to the transitional government,” believed to be a surrender by the government. The entrance of the Taliban to Kabul comes after the Islamist group took over more than a dozen provincial capitals in less than a week. The capture of the capitals is part of the Taliban offensive that started in May, as the United States began withdrawing troops from the country. The withdrawal is set to be complete by the end of the month. US President Joe Biden continues to say he will not rescind his decision to remove the US military presence from Afghanistan.