Afghanistan: From Invasion to Evacuation and Beyond

Afghan women chant during a protest in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021.

Rights group documents abuses since Taliban takeover of Afghanistan

A U.K.-based rights group launched an interactive map documenting human rights abuses since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.

3 weeks ago

Afghan refugees walk through an Afghan refugee camp at Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst, N.J., on Sept. 27, 2021.

Biden to allow Afghans to stay longer in US, sources say

The Biden administration will continue to allow tens of thousands of Afghans who fled Taliban control more than two years ago to stay and work in the U.S.

5 weeks ago

Afghanistan

Taliban kill mastermind of suicide bombing at Kabul airport

The Taliban have killed the senior Islamic State group leader behind the August 2021 bombing outside the Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members.

Taliban may be getting bulk of US aid sent to Afghanistan

A government watchdog says US officials can't say how much of the money is going to help civilians and how much is being stolen.

7 weeks ago

Sima Gul shares a moment with her son, Amir Mazlom Yar in their Blacksburg, Va., apartment on Feb. 9, 2023.

Female Afghan veterans work toward fresh start in Virginia

More than 40 Afghan Female Tactical Platoon fighters relocated to the United States after the Taliban takeover, but their fates in the U.S. are unclear.

8 weeks ago

Plan to boost visas for Afghan allies isn’t enough, advocates warn

The White House hopes to increase the number of Afghan visas to 20,000 in its fiscal 2024 budget plan.

3 months ago

Abdul Wasi Safi smiles after a news conference Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, in Houston.

Afghan soldier seeking US asylum hopes for ‘American dream’

Abdul Wasi Safi, who fled Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. forces, was freed this week after spending months in immigration detention.

4 months ago

Feds drop charges against Afghan soldier seeking asylum in US

After months of publicity and a bipartisan congressional effort to request a pardon from the president, Abdul Wasi Safi could be set free.

4 months ago

Sami-ullah Safi holds photographs of his brother, Abdul Wasi Safi, as he talks about his brother's journey to the U.S. during an interview Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023, in Houston.

Afghan soldier seeking asylum in US remains jailed after border arrest

Abdul Wasi Safi, a former officer in the Afghan National Security Forces, was arrested at the U.S. southern border after fleeing the Taliban.

4 months ago

House GOP demands State Dept turn over thousands of Afghanistan memos

Republicans say the information is needed right away in their investigations into missteps leading up to the U.S. military withdrawal from that country.

5 months ago

Afghan refugees in US face uncertainty as legislation stalls

The Afghan Adjustment Act would allow Afghans who came to the U.S. during the Afghanistan evacuation to be re-vetted and apply for a permanent status.

5 months ago

State Department spokesman Ned Price speaks during a news conference at the State Department, March 10, 2022, in Washington.

Taliban releases 2 Americans held in Afghanistan

State Department spokesman Ned Price called the release an apparent goodwill gesture on the part of the Taliban.

6 months ago

‘The Way Forward’: Life lessons learned from a Marine and Navy SEAL

Two combat veterans share life experiences from hunting, drinking and war.

9 months ago

A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter flies over the rugged terrain of eastern Afghanistan, July 28, 2015.

Helicopter crash kills 3 in Kabul during training session

The Taliban’s defense ministry said at least three Afghan crew members were killed when a U.S.-manufactured Black Hawk helicopter they were flying crashed.

9 months ago

The intertwining legacy of women in the military and the Forever War

In many ways, female troops' service in Afghanistan opened previously closed doors.

9 months ago

US ending Operation Allies Welcome, shift to new Afghan refugee help

White House officials said the move is meant to improve efforts to assist Afghan refugees.

9 months ago

The desperate pleas from Afghanistan in our inbox

Last August, as the Taliban advanced on Kabul and the U.S. military began its hectic withdrawal from Afghanistan, emails began trickling into our inboxes.

9 months ago

A U.S. soldier holds a sign indicating a gate is closed as hundreds of people gather some holding documents, near an evacuation control checkpoint on the perimeter of the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2021. (Wali Sabawoon/AP)

46 hours: How airmen fought to save lives after the Abbey Gate bombing

Air Force Times exclusively spoke with five airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron during Operation Allies Refuge.

9 months ago

A year later, vets accept that they can’t save every Afghan ally

“We can’t just singlehandedly change public opinion, or political will, or spotlight on the issue, but we can do our best.”

9 months ago

Afghanistan

All the latest news about Afghanistan—the end of the war, the rise of the Taliban, and U.S. evacuation efforts.

A U.K.-based rights group launched an interactive map documenting human rights abuses since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.

The Biden administration will continue to allow tens of thousands of Afghans who fled Taliban control more than two years ago to stay and work in the U.S.

The Taliban have killed the senior Islamic State group leader behind the August 2021 bombing outside the Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members.

A government watchdog says US officials can't say how much of the money is going to help civilians and how much is being stolen.

More than 40 Afghan Female Tactical Platoon fighters relocated to the United States after the Taliban takeover, but their fates in the U.S. are unclear.

The White House hopes to increase the number of Afghan visas to 20,000 in its fiscal 2024 budget plan.

Abdul Wasi Safi, who fled Afghanistan following the withdrawal of U.S. forces, was freed this week after spending months in immigration detention.

After months of publicity and a bipartisan congressional effort to request a pardon from the president, Abdul Wasi Safi could be set free.

Abdul Wasi Safi, a former officer in the Afghan National Security Forces, was arrested at the U.S. southern border after fleeing the Taliban.

Republicans say the information is needed right away in their investigations into missteps leading up to the U.S. military withdrawal from that country.

The Afghan Adjustment Act would allow Afghans who came to the U.S. during the Afghanistan evacuation to be re-vetted and apply for a permanent status.

State Department spokesman Ned Price called the release an apparent goodwill gesture on the part of the Taliban.

Two combat veterans share life experiences from hunting, drinking and war.

The Taliban’s defense ministry said at least three Afghan crew members were killed when a U.S.-manufactured Black Hawk helicopter they were flying crashed.

In many ways, female troops' service in Afghanistan opened previously closed doors.

White House officials said the move is meant to improve efforts to assist Afghan refugees.

Last August, as the Taliban advanced on Kabul and the U.S. military began its hectic withdrawal from Afghanistan, emails began trickling into our inboxes.

Air Force Times exclusively spoke with five airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron during Operation Allies Refuge.

“We can’t just singlehandedly change public opinion, or political will, or spotlight on the issue, but we can do our best.”