This Is Life in Rural Afghanistan After the Taliban Takeover

Since the Taliban takeover, much of Afghanistan’s countryside has seen a big drop in violence after 20 years of fighting. “It has been a long time now since a bullet hit our homes.”

Budding Resistance to the Taliban Faces Long Odds

For now, the fighters have merely two assets: a narrow valley with a history of repelling invaders and the legacy of a storied mujahedeen commander.

The Afghan Military Was Built Over 20 Years. How Did It Collapse So Quickly?

The Taliban’s rapid advance has made clear that U.S. efforts to turn Afghanistan’s military into a robust, independent fighting force have failed, with its soldiers feeling abandoned by inept leaders.

Departure of U.S. Contractors Poses Myriad Problems for Afghan Military

It is not just U.S. troops who are withdrawing from Afghanistan. Thousands of private contractors — who help keep the Afghan Air Force flying, among other tasks — are leaving as well.

At Empty Bases, Echoes of War

As the United States withdraws its forces from Afghanistan, a former Marine who became a Times reporter sees only traces of what several camps used to be.