The last remaining American and NATO troops have left the main international military airbase in Afghanistan. Bagram, just north of Kabul, was the center of a 20-year campaign against Taliban extremists. The Taliban is celebrating the departure of the Western troops, and has already retaken control of much of the country. Afghans are worried about what will happen to them now that most of the international troops have gone.
In 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, US troops turned Bagram into a key military base to hunt down militant groups responsible for the atrocity. Now, the Afghan government is getting control back, even though negotiations between them and Taliban militants have made no headway.
US President Joe Biden believes it can work. But Afghans do not have as much faith in their government as Biden. As military troops depart, they too are looking for a way out. People are flocking to passport offices in Kabul - to plan their exit.
For the soldiers of the Afghan National and Defense Forces, that's not an option. Some feel the country is finally their own – and they intend to hold it – keeping the Taliban at bay.
Meanwhile, the Taliban are gaining ever more ground in Afghanistan. Over the past weeks, they've been on the offensive, releasing propaganda videos and taking control of many districts.
It won't be until the last US troops pull out on September 11th that the world will finally learn what the Taliban have planned.