1、CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Taliban Establish Control Over Afghanistan Amid Government Collapse and U.S. Withdrawal August 16, 2021 On August 15, 2021, Taliban fighters entered Afghanistans capital, Kabul, effectively reestablishing the groups rule o
2、ver the country after a nearly two-decade-long insurgency against U.S. and international forces and the former Afghan government. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and many other senior Afghan leaders have fled the country, though as of August 16 Ghani has not resigned. The collapse of the Afghan govern
3、ment comes as the U.S. military withdrawal, started under President Donald Trump, was nearing completion at the direction of President Joseph Biden. The Talibans victory in Afghanistan, the speed of which has shocked many Afghans and other observers, has political, security, and humanitarian implica
4、tions. The evacuation of U.S. citizens and Afghan partners is seen as of particular urgency. Background: Taliban Advance The Taliban ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until their defeat by U.S., international, and U.S.-backed Afghan forces in 2001 in response to the Talibans harboring of Al Qaeda,