Taliban insurgents tightened their grip on Afghanistan on Friday, wrestling control of the second- and third-biggest cities as Western embassies prepared to send in troops to help evacuate staff from the capital, Kabul reut.rs/3xJeHva (1/6)
The defeats have fueled concern that the U.S.-backed government could fall to the insurgents within weeks, as international forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of war (2/6)
Withdrawal has precipitated a worsening in the refugee crisis in Afghanistan reut.rs/37GrsMA (3/6)
The fighting has also raised fears of a refugee crisis and a rollback of gains in human rights. Some 400,000 civilians have been forced from their homes since the beginning of the year, 250,000 of them since May, a U.N. official said (4/6)
U.S. intelligence assessments concluded this week that the Taliban could isolate Kabul within 30 days and take it over in 90 (5/6)
The speed of the offensive, as U.S.-led foreign forces prepare to leave, has drawn criticism to Joe Biden's decision to withdraw U.S. troops.
Biden said this week he did not regret his decision, noting the U.S. has spent more than $1 trillion in America's longest war (6/6)
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