Four Years After the Taliban Takeover: A Stark Record of Failure and Threat to U.S. Interests

Four years ago, the world watched with disbelief as the Taliban marched unopposed into Kabul on August 15, 2021, marking a devastating end to two decades of American and allied efforts to secure a free Afghanistan. The chaotic withdrawal left behind a humanitarian crisis and created a dangerous vacuum for terrorists to regroup—directly threatening America’s national security. How Did We Let This Happen? The fall of Kabul was not an isolated failure but the culmination of missteps by Washington’s policymakers who underestimated the Taliban’s resilience and abandoned Afghan allies without adequate planning. Just days after President Ashraf Ghani fled, ISIS-K...