The fact that the Taliban is retaking provincial capitals and “forc[ing] the surrender and capture of hundreds of government forces and their military equipment” indicates that predictions that a U.S. withdrawal would revert the country to its pre-9/11 status are likely to be accurate. The New York Times reports that in the past day, “around a dozen districts have fallen to the Taliban — mostly in the country’s north.”
However, the fact that a significant number of local Afghan leaders are surrendering to the Taliban without a fight further raises the question of whether it is worth it to have Americans remaining in place. Why should Americans be more determined to resist the restoration of Taliban’s brutal and cruel rule over women and children than Afghani men are?