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A see-off ceremony for newly recruited soldiers is held on September 16, 2025, in Fuyang, China. (Getty Images)
Middle East
Middle East
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Taliban fighters in a vehicle patrol the streets of Kabul on August 23, 2021 (Photo by WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images)
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Afghans make their way the road to the military entrance of the airport for evacuations, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021 (MARCUS YAM / LOS ANGELES TIMES)
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Taliban patrol in Herat city after took control in Herat, Afghanistan, on August 18, 2021 as Taliban take control of Afghanistan after 20 years. (Photo by Mir Ahmad Firooz Mashoof/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
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Afghans march down the street carrying banners and the flag of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, despite the presence of Taliban fighters around them, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021 (MARCUS YAM / LOS ANGELES TIMES)
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Taliban fighters sit over a vehicle on a street in Laghman province on August 15, 2021 (AFP via Getty Images)
Experts
James Barnett
Research Fellow
Michael Doran
Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East
Douglas J. Feith
Senior Fellow
