On August 30, 2021 , the United States closed the chapter on its longest war. Under the cover of night, the last US Air Force transport planes lifted off from Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. Onboard were the final contingent of American troops guarding the evacuation effort.

For the first time in 20 years, Afghanistan was left without a US military presence. Minutes after the planes disappeared into the night sky, Taliban fighters fired into the air in celebration, declaring victory after a two-decade insurgency.

This final moment came after weeks of stunning and rapid developments. In early August, the Taliban began a lightning offensive across Afghanistan, seizing provincial capitals at an astonishing pace.

Afghan government forces, trained and supported by the United St

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