Full Circle: Taliban takeover in Kabul, Islamic Emirate on the way

The Taliban militia entered Kabul in a triumphal march on a black Sunday, and look set to proclaim the Islamic Emirate, the self-same regime which was dislodged by the US-led forces two decades ago. It’s a crowning irony, as on September 11 this year, the 20^th anniversary of 9/11 attacks the Taliban will be ruling Kabul.

Confirming worst suspicions about their intentions, the Taliban said on August 15 that it would soon declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in the capital, Kabul.

In a day of rapid developments, President Ashraf Ghani left the country and is reported to be in Tajikistan. The government’s acting interior minister, Abdul Sattar Mirzakawal, had said that power would be handed over to a transitional administration.

Vice president Amrullah Saleh, however, struck a defiant note. “I will bever betray the soul and legacy of my hero Ahmad Shah Masoud, the commander, the legend and the guide. I won’t disappoint millions who listened to me. I will never be under one ceiling with the Taliban. NEVER,” the vice president wrote on Twitter.

Mr Ghani was evacuated by the United States and was taken to Dushanbe in Tajikistan, according to some media reports. It is not yet confirmed whether he has resigned from the post or not.

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