The choice to stay in Kabul

Post Reports

The Washington Post

Daily News, Politics, News

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🗓️ 24 August 2021

⏱️ ? minutes

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Summary

What the return of the Taliban means for women in Kabul. And, the story behind a secret meeting between the CIA director and the leader of the Taliban.

Mahbouba Seraj, activist and director of the Afghan Women Skills Development Center, weighs the dire stakes for the women in Afghanistan — and explains why she chooses to stay in the country as dangers mount.

President Biden said Tuesday he will stick to the Aug. 31 deadline to fully withdraw from Afghanistan. The Taliban has said U.S. troops staying any longer would be crossing a “red line.”

As pressure to safely evacuate people from Kabul mounts, national security reporter John Hudson reports that CIA Director William Burns held a secret meeting with the leader of the Taliban, Abdul Ghani Baradar. It is the highest-ranking official within the administration to meet with the Taliban since the takeover of the country.

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's not that I'm a martyr, I'm not, and it's not that I'm very brave, I am not.
0:11.7	For Afghans who are watching a closing window of evacuations, they're facing this impossible
0:17.7	choice about whether to try and leave or whether to stay.
0:22.0	This is something that will kill me.
0:24.0	This will destroy me forever.
0:26.4	What is the point of being alive if I cannot free but live with myself?
0:34.6	From the newsroom of the Washington Post, this is Post Reports.
0:38.1	I'm Martine Powers.
0:40.0	It's Tuesday, August 24.
0:43.7	The Taliban announced this morning they are no longer allowing Afghans to enter Kabul
0:47.9	Airport and evacuate.
0:49.8	They say it's more important for Afghans to stay and help rebuild the country.
0:53.9	We are trying to control this situation, the way to the end code has been closed now.
1:09.1	It is still unclear what that will mean for Afghans outside the airport who have plans
1:13.8	to leave.
1:15.0	We are currently on a pace to finish by August 31.
1:19.8	The sooner we can finish the better, each day of operations brings at risk to our troops.
1:26.9	But the completion of August 31 depends upon the Taliban continuing to cooperate and allow
1:32.8	access to the airport for those who are transporting out and no disruption to our operations.
1:40.4	The White House said today that they are seeking to stick to the August 31 deadline to withdraw.
1:45.2	Though Biden has asked the Pentagon to come up with a contingency plan, if the evacuation
1:49.2	plans aren't finished by the deadline.
	...

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