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Write key words, phrases and quotes from the people that capture the Human Story. Explain what these uncover about the day from the human perspective.

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Write key words, phrases and quotes from the people that capture the Human Story. Explain what these uncover about the day from the human perspective.

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What is the timeline of events. How did the day unfold? 

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What is the timeline of events. How did the day unfold? 

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Note for screen reader users: once expanded, the first four items of the navigation menu have some associated content which may provide additional information of interest. These sections can be located by jumping to the level 3 heading which follows each sub-menu.

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From the archives: George W. Bush's Oval Office speech on 9/11

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On September 11, 2001, a terrorist attack claimed the lives of almost 3,000 Americans. NBC News goes to the archives to revisit President George W. Bush's address to the nation from the Oval Office.

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Write key words and phrases and quotes from the people that capture how this event creates and fits into a Global Story. Make links here to terrorism in a global sense

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Write key words and phrases and quotes from the people that capture how this event creates and fits into a Global Story. Make links here to terrorism in a global sense

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Research and investigate how this event changed America and the world. What is the new story 20 years on?

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Research and investigate how this event changed America and the world. What is the new story 20 years on?

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World Trade Center

On September 11, 2001, at 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.

The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, instantly killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more in higher floors.

As the evacuation of the tower and its twin got underway, television cameras broadcasted live images of what initially appeared to be a freak accident. Then, 18 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767-United Airlines Flight 175-appeared out of the sky, turned sharply toward the World Trade Center and sliced into the south tower near the 60th floor.

The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris over surrounding buildings and onto the streets below. It immediately became clear that America was under attack.

Osama bin Laden

The hijackers were Islamic terrorists from Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations. Reportedly financed by the al Qaeda terrorist organization of Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden, they were allegedly acting in retaliation for America's support of Israel, its involvement in the Persian Gulf War and its continued military presence in the Middle East.

Some of the terrorists had lived in the United States for more than a year and had taken flying lessons at American commercial flight schools. Others had slipped into the country in the months before September 11 and acted as the "muscle" in the operation.

Where Did the 9/11 Planes Take Off From?

The 19 terrorists smuggled box-cutters and knives through security at three East Coast airports-Logan International Airport in Boston, Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. and Newark International Airport in New Jersey-and boarded four early-morning flights bound for California, chosen because the planes were loaded with fuel for the long transcontinental journey. Soon after takeoff, the terrorists commandeered the four planes and took the controls, transforming ordinary passenger jets into guided missiles.

Pentagon Attack

As millions watched the events unfolding in New York, American Airlines Flight 77 circled over downtown Washington, D.C., before crashing into the west side of the Pentagon military headquarters at 9:45 a.m.

Jet fuel from the Boeing 757 caused a devastating inferno that led to the structural collapse of a portion of the giant concrete building, which is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense.

All told, 125 military personnel and civilians were killed in the Pentagon, along with all 64 people aboard the airliner.

Twin Towers Collapse

Less than 15 minutes after the terrorists struck the nerve center of the U.S. military, the horror in New York took a catastrophic turn when the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed in a massive cloud of dust and smoke.

The structural steel of the skyscraper, built to withstand winds in excess of 200 miles per hour and a large conventional fire, could not withstand the tremendous heat generated by the burning jet fuel.

At 10:30 a.m., the north building of the twin towers collapsed. Only 18 people in the World Trade Center towers at the time of the collapse survived. Most were with a group of FDNY firefighters in the North Tower's Stairwell B, which remained intact. One woman survived after the stairs she was rushing down disintegrated around her. Almost 10,000 others were treated for injuries, many severe.

Flight 93

Meanwhile, a fourth California-bound plane- United Flight 93-was hijacked about 40 minutes after leaving Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Because the plane had been delayed in taking off, passengers on board learned of events in New York and Washington via cell phone and Airfone calls to the ground.

Knowing that the aircraft was not returning to an airport as the hijackers claimed, a group of passengers and flight attendants planned an insurrection.

One of the passengers, Thomas Burnett, Jr., told his wife over the phone that "I know we're all going to die. There's three of us who are going to do something about it. I love you, honey." Another passenger-Todd Beamer-was heard saying "Are you guys ready? Let's roll" over an open line.

Sandy Bradshaw, a flight attendant, called her husband and explained that she had slipped into a galley and was filling pitchers with boiling water. Her last words to him were "Everyone's running to first class. I've got to go. Bye."

The passengers fought the four hijackers and are suspected to have attacked the cockpit with a fire extinguisher. The plane then flipped over and sped toward the ground at upwards of 500 miles per hour, crashing in a rural field near Shanksville in western Pennsylvania at 10:10 a.m.

All 44 people aboard were killed. Its intended target is not known, but theories include the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland or one of several nuclear power plants along the eastern seaboard.

How Many People Died in the 9/11 Attacks?

A total of 2,996 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks, including the 19 terrorist hijackers aboard the four airplanes. Citizens of 78 countries died in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

At the World Trade Center, 2,763 died after the two planes slammed into the twin towers. That figure includes 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York City police officers and 37 Port Authority police officers who were struggling to complete an evacuation of the buildings and save the office workers trapped on higher floors.

At the Pentagon, 189 people were killed, including 64 on American Airlines Flight 77, the airliner that struck the building. On Flight 93, 44 people died when the plane crash-landed in Pennsylvania.

America Responds to the Attacks

At 7 p.m., President George W. Bush, who was in Florida at the time of the attacks and had spent the day being shuttled around the country because of security concerns, returned to the White House.

At 9 p.m., he delivered a televised address from the Oval Office, declaring, "Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve."

In a reference to the eventual U.S. military response he declared, "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."

Operation Enduring Freedom, the American-led international effort to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and destroy Osama bin Laden's terrorist network based there, began on October 7. Within two months, U.S. forces had effectively removed the Taliban from operational power, but the war continued, as U.S. and coalition forces attempted to defeat a Taliban insurgency campaign based in neighboring Pakistan.

Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11th attacks, remained at large until May 2, 2011, when he was finally tracked down and killed by U.S. forces at a hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan. In June 2011, then-President Barack Obama announced the beginning of large-scale troop withdrawals from Afghanistan; it took until August 2021 for all U.S. forces to withdraw.

Department of Homeland Security Is Created

In the wake of security fears raised by 9/11 and the mailing of letters containing anthrax that killed two and infected 17, The Homeland Security Act of 2002 created the Department of Homeland Security. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 25, 2002. Today, the Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet responsible for preventing terror attacks, border security, immigrations and customs and disaster relief and prevention.

The act was followed two days later by the formation of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. The bipartisan " 9/11 Commission," as it came to be known, was charged with investigating the events that lead up to September 11th. The 9/11 Commission Report was released on July 22, 2004. It named Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind behind 9/11, "the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks."

Mohammed led propaganda operations for al Qaeda from 1999-2001. He was captured on March 1, 2003 by the Central Intelligence Agency and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and interrogated before being imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay detention camp with four other accused terrorists charged with 9/11-related war crimes. The use of torture, including waterboarding, during Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's interrogation has received international attention. In August 2019, a U.S. military court judge in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba set a trial date for Mohammed and the other four men charged with plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks to begin in 2021; it was later postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Economic Impact of 9/11

The 9/11 attacks had an immediate negative effect on the U.S. economy. Many Wall Street institutions, including the New York Stock Exchange, were evacuated during the attacks. On the first day of trading after the attacks, the market fell 7.1 percent, or 684 points. New York City's economy alone lost 143,000 jobs a month and $2.8 billion wages in the first three months. The heaviest losses were in finance and air transportation, which accounted for 60 percent of lost jobs. The estimated cost of the World Trade Center damage is $60 billion. The cost to clean the debris at Ground Zero was $750 million.

Victim Compensation Fund

Thousands of first responders and people working and living in lower Manhattan near Ground Zero were exposed to toxic fumes and particles emanating from the towers as they burned and fell. By 2018, 10,000 people were diagnosed with 9/11-related cancer.

From 2001 to 2004, over $7 billion dollars in compensation was given to families of the 9/11 victims and the 2,680 people injured in the attacks. Funding was renewed on January 2, 2011, when President Barack Obama signed The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act into law. Named for James Zadroga, a New York City Police officer who died of respiratory disease he contracted after rescuing people from the rubble at Ground Zero, the law continued health monitoring and compensation for 9/11 first responders and survivors.

In 2015, funding for the treatment of 9/11-related illness was renewed for five more years at a total of $7.4 billion. The Victim Compensation Fund was set to stop accepting claims in December 2020.

On July 29, 2019, then-President Trump signed a law authorizing support for the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund through 2092. Previously, administrators had cut benefits by up to 70 percent as the $7.4 billion fund depleted. Vocal lobbyists for the fund included Jon Stewart, 9/11 first responder John Feal and retired New York Police Department detective and 9/11 responder Luis Alvarez, who died of cancer 18 days after testifying before Congress.

Anniversary and Memorial

On December 18, 2001, Congress approved naming September 11 "Patriot Day" to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In 2009, Congress named September 11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

The first memorials to September 11 came in the immediate wake of the attacks, with candlelight vigils and flower tributes at U.S. embassies around the world. In Great Britain, Queen Elizabeth sang the American national anthem during the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Rio de Janeiro put up billboards showing the city's Christ the Redeemer statue embracing the New York City skyline.

For the first anniversary of the attacks in New York City in 2002, two bright columns of light were shot up into the sky from where the Twin Towers once stood. The "Tribute in Light" then became an annual installation run by the Municipal Art Society of New York. On clear nights, the beams are visible from over 60 miles away.

A World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition was held to select an appropriate permanent memorial to the victims of 9/11. The winning design by Michael Arad, "Reflecting Absence," now sits outside the museum in an eight-acre park. It consists of two reflecting pools with waterfalls rushing down where the Twin Towers once rose into the sky.

The names of all 2,983 victims are engraved on the 152 bronze panels surrounding the pools, arranged by where individuals were on the day of the attacks, so coworkers and people on the same flight are memorialized together. The site was opened to the public on September 11, 2011, to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of 9/11. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum followed, opening on the original World Trade Center site in May 2014. The Freedom Tower, also on the original World Trade Center site, opened in November 2014.

Sources

"Study Confirms 9/11 Impact on New York City Economy." The New York Times
"September 11: nearly 10,000 people affected by 'cesspool of cancer.'" The Guardian.
"Congress passes 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund extension championed by Jon Stewart." CNN.com
The Encyclopedia of 9/11. New York Magazine.
FAQ About 9/11. 9/11 Memorial.
September 11th Terror Attacks Fast Facts. CNN.
9/11 Death Statistics. StatisticBrain.com.

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September 11 Attacks: Facts, Background & Impact

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On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

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On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card was faced with a historic decision. Should he inform President George W. Bush, who was speaking that morning at an elementary school in Florida, that a second plane had crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center? Card knew that America was in the middle of an emergency. He had to decide what to tell the president -- and how. But he didn't want to provoke a reaction or cause a response from the president as he was sitting in front of the news cameras surrounded by elementary school children. Card decided that his message would be short and direct. He told the president, "A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack."

In doing so, Card activated one of the most covert and never-before-used plans of the federal government: Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP), which was stipulated in Presidential Decision Directive 67 by the Clinton administration in 1998.

The directive laid out the response of federal executive branch agencies during a national emergency. The Sept. 11 attacks were the first test.

Under the COOP plan, federal agencies are assigned different functions to protect federal government operations. The Secret Service, under 18 USC 3056, has the prime responsibility to protect the president, the vice president and other leaders in the government. On 9/11, the Secret Service was thrust into the very real scenario of an unknown actor possibly targeting the president and trying to decapitate the government.

The attacks also put the president's Secret Service detail leader as commander of any government assets, including the Department of Defense. For the Secret Service, the first goal was to get the president back on Air Force One.

In Washington, D.C., Vice President Dick Cheney sat in the White House with others trying to manage the attacks in a building that was now considered a target. Down the street from the White House, Secret Service Director Brian Stafford, a Vietnam veteran, oversaw the Director's Crisis Center, which became the defacto control point for the relocation of every Secret Service protectee.

As officials in the Director's Crisis Center worked to get their arms around the crisis, the Secret Service office in New York at 7 World Trade Center was holding a planning meeting for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly when the planes hit the North and South Towers. Agents raced down to the streets and assisted other first responders with evacuating civilians, triaging the wounded and fighting fires. Some agents ran into the burning towers, including Tom Armas and John Buckley, who ran 40 flights up into the North Tower.

Back in Washington, the White House Incident Notification System (WHIN) system was alerted. An aircraft near the nation's capital was thought to be headed toward the White House. Special Agent Jimmy Scott of the vice president's detail burst through Cheney's office door and said, "Mr. Vice President, we've got to leave now." Before Cheney could respond, Scott moved behind the vice president's desk, put one hand on his belt and another on his shoulder, and propelled him out of his office toward the "PEOC," the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, located beneath the White House.

Secret Service personnel were also evacuating the White House to ensure that if an aircraft struck it, there would be minimal loss of life.

Aboard Air Force One, Secret Service Assistant Special Agents in Charge Dave Wilkinson and Eddie Marinzel knew there had been an incident but not much else. The communications system on Air Force One was spotty. Air Force One was also not equipped with cable TV and email was unavailable. The agents had to compete with an already clogged cellphone network that day.

The Secret Service agents aboard Air Force One knew that going back to Washington was not an option. President Bush protested, but ultimately, if the Secret Service felt the situation could not be made safe, the president couldn't override them. As Wilkerson put it, "[T]he Secret Service has to protect the president. The wishes of that person that day are secondary to what the law expects of us."

The president was moved to secure military installations including Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. Once there, Bush made the statement confirming that the United States was at "war" but also, despite Secret Service protestations, he would return to Washington. To do so, the Secret Service not only had ensure the White House was secure but that the route there was also safe.

After returning to the White House, Bush meet with Cheney, Card, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and Special Agent in Charge Carl Truscott in the president's Emergency Operations Center -- commonly referred to as "the bunker" -- to discuss America's response and his speech to the nation later that evening.

From the passengers on the highjacked aircraft to first responders and civilians in all three target locations, heroism was on full display during the Sept. 11 attacks. Americans ran toward danger, including the many unsung heroes in the Secret Service who held to their oath that no matter what, America and its symbols would stand.
Donald J. Mihalek is an ABC News contributor, retired senior Secret Service agent and regional field training instructor who served as a police officer and in the US Coast Guard. Opinions expressed in this piece do not reflect those of ABC News.

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'America is under attack': Reliving the Secret Service response on 9/11: OPINION

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On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card was faced with a historic decision. Should he inform President George W. Bush, who was speaking that morning at an elementary school in Florida, that a second plane had crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center?

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Bush Advisor Recalls Telling Bush About 9/11 Attacks | MSNBC

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7:59 am – American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767 with 92 people aboard, takes off from Boston’s Logan International Airport en route to Los Angeles.

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8:14 am – United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767 with 65 people aboard, takes off from Boston; it is also headed to Los Angeles.

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8:19 am – Flight attendants aboard Flight 11 alert ground personnel that the plane has been hijacked; American Airlines notifies the FBI.

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at 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.

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10:07 am – After passengers and crew members aboard the hijacked Flight 93 contact friends and family and learn about the attacks in New York and Washington, they mount an attempt to retake the plane. In response, hijackers deliberately crash the plane into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all 40 passengers and crew aboard.

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10:28 am - The World Trade Center’s North Tower collapses, 102 minutes after being struck by Flight 11.

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"On September 11 I always take the day off.  I want to be in a peaceful quiet place praying.  It is a day I both mourn and celebrate." - 9/11 survivor Genelle McMillon

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"On September 11 I always take the day off.  I want to be in a peaceful quiet place praying.  It is a day I both mourn and celebrate." - 9/11 survivor Genelle McMillon

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"I give speeches around the country.  I tell how Stanley and I made our way out of the tower.  Life is precious, I tell them.  It can be gone in an instant." - 9/11 survivor Brian Clark

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"I give speeches around the country.  I tell how Stanley and I made our way out of the tower.  Life is precious, I tell them.  It can be gone in an instant." - 9/11 survivor Brian Clark

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"I still have the shoes I wore to work that day.  The soles are melted and they’re caked in ash.  I keep them in a shoebox with the word “deliverance” written all around it.  They’re kind of like my ark, a reminder of God’s presence and the life I owe to him." - 9/11 survivor Stanley Primnath

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"I still have the shoes I wore to work that day.  The soles are melted and they’re caked in ash.  I keep them in a shoebox with the word “deliverance” written all around it.  They’re kind of like my ark, a reminder of God’s presence and the life I owe to him." - 9/11 survivor Stanley Primnath

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"When Americans lend a hand to one another, nothing is impossible.  We’re not about what happened on 9/11.  We’re about what happened on 9/12." - Jeff Parness

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"When Americans lend a hand to one another, nothing is impossible.  We’re not about what happened on 9/11.  We’re about what happened on 9/12." - Jeff Parness

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"I may never know the answers to the questions that plagued me after 9/11.  But I know if we lean on God and each other we will be guided to a better, brighter future." - 9/11 Survivor Michael Hingson

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"I may never know the answers to the questions that plagued me after 9/11.  But I know if we lean on God and each other we will be guided to a better, brighter future." - 9/11 Survivor Michael Hingson

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“I just knew instinctively that if an international effort were needed, Australia should and would be part of it and would be a very early and willing part of it,”

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People started to fear of terrorism, this was one of the most prolific, if not the most prolific acts of terrorism the world had ever seen. In America specifically, people started to buy more weaponry specifically guns, people became more aware of the dangers that exist in this world. Around the world, Islamophobia increased exponentially and people started judging others based on their religion. Global security increased and specifically at the time there was a massive increase in Airport security, and plane travel was terrifying, however, this did not matter because people outright refused to travel on planes. These Islamic terror groups made the entire world fear them.

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People started to fear of terrorism, this was one of the most prolific, if not the most prolific acts of terrorism the world had ever seen. In America specifically, people started to buy more weaponry specifically guns, people became more aware of the dangers that exist in this world. Around the world, Islamophobia increased exponentially and people started judging others based on their religion. Global security increased and specifically at the time there was a massive increase in Airport security, and plane travel was terrifying, however, this did not matter because people outright refused to travel on planes. These Islamic terror groups made the entire world fear them.

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What were the objectives of the Islamic terror groups in the long term?

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What were the objectives of the Islamic terror groups in the long term?

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Why did Americans start buying more guns even though they were the reason that these islamic terrorists were able to hijack the planes?

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Why did Americans start buying more guns even though they were the reason that these islamic terrorists were able to hijack the planes?

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How did other middle eastern countries react when they got news of 9/11?

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How did other middle eastern countries react when they got news of 9/11?

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How many more terror attacks occured after 9/11? And were they all done my islamic extremeists?

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How many more terror attacks occured after 9/11? And were they all done my islamic extremeists?

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How did Asian countries react to 9/11 specifically china, korea, and japan?

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How did Asian countries react to 9/11 specifically china, korea, and japan?

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Copy of Global Politics Unit 2: Global Connections

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Find two articles from traditional media that report DIFFERENTLY about this issue. You may want to find one more localised and one more international media source

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Find two articles from traditional media that report DIFFERENTLY about this issue. You may want to find one more localised and one more international media source

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What have you seen on your own socials? Find two - five different examples of different ways this story has been depicted on social media

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What have you seen on your own socials? Find two - five different examples of different ways this story has been depicted on social media

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPYwL04NkiI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XacmJifgfKM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm7mMqwD974

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubc1Eluhg_g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JknHEaIHxSI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCgLCXIVq3M

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Afghanistan: Militaries Face Chaos At Kabul Airport

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/aug/15/afghanistan-taliban-close-in-on-kabul-as-last-government-stronghold-in-north-falls

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Afghani president Ashraf Ghani flees country as capital falls to insurgents - as it happened

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https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/afghan-interpreters-virginia-evacuation-us-b1893844.html

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About 200 Afghan interpreters and their families arrived in Virginia on Friday, the first evacuations of thousands imperiled because of their work with the United States in Afghanistan as the Taliban gains control of more territory nationwide, US officials said Friday.

The first flight departed Kabul with Afghans on their first leg of travel to Fort Lee, where they will finish the last rounds of processing over the next several days before being resettled across the country.

"Today is an important milestone as we continue to fulfill our promise to the thousands of Afghan nationals who served shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops and diplomats over the last 20 years in Afghanistan," President Joe Biden said in a statement.

The Afghans are part of a broader group of about 2,500 who are furthest along in the special immigrant visa process and who will arrive in subsequent flights, said Russell E. Travers, a senior adviser at the National Security Council, in a call with Biden administration officials Thursday.

The evacuees escaped the clutches of Taliban militants who have targeted interpreters, in some cases killing them as retribution for their work with US troops on the front lines and as crucial guides for diplomats and aid workers. The urgency has mounted in recent months as the Taliban has wrested control of wide swaths of the country from the Afghan government, including its takeover of about half the country's district centers, US officials have said.

"These arrivals are just the first of many as we work quickly to relocate [Special Immigrant Visa]-eligible Afghans out of harm's way-to the United States, to US facilities abroad, or to third countries-so that they can wait in safety while they finish their visa applications," Mr Biden said.

But the initial flight is a small fraction of thousands of Afghans who have spent years in bureaucratic limbo waiting on their visas to be approved after the rigorous and, many say, at times confounding screening process.

About 20,000 Afghans had applied for the special immigrant visa as of 15 July, according to the White House. That number does not include family members; a US government official said the total number of people in the applicant pipeline including family members could be as high as 100,000.

That is more than the roughly 74,000 Afghans resettled in the program since it was implemented in 2009, according to the State Department.

The Senate on Thursday cleared more than $1 billion (£717 million) to pay for the evacuations, including transportation and housing provided by the Defense and State departments. The bill would also lessen requirements for applicants and allow 8,000 more visas on top of the 26,500 currently allocated for the program. President Biden is expected to sign the bill.

Underscoring the complexity of the effort, dubbed Operation Allies Refuge, is the fact that applicants live all over Afghanistan, many in Taliban-controlled or -contested territory.

The Association of Wartime Allies, an interpreter advocacy group, estimates about half of applicants still waiting live outside Kabul. Many roads outside the capital are dotted with Taliban checkpoints. The Afghan air force, beleaguered and overtaxed in battles with the militants, does not seem capable of ferrying applicants, said Matt Zeller, a former Army officer and board chair of the group.

The reality is some of these people are going to die. Why didn't the US military evacuate them when we had the ability?" asked Mr Zeller, who said Biden administration officials ignored his warnings in January to prepare for mass evacuations.

Tracey Jacobson, the State Department's Afghanistan Coordination Task Force director, told reporters on the call Thursday that the United States had no ability to bring applicants to the capital or house them while they wait for clearance to fly.

Other applicants not as far along in the process will be moved to a third country for safe processing, Ms Jacobson said.

Advocates and interpreters have said the evacuation so far has been beset by confusion and tension.

One former interpreter, who said he worked with a US contractor for eight years in Kandahar, including time translating for US troops training Afghan soldiers, said he was notified to pick up his passport but that he had received no further information.

The former interpreter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution from the Taliban, watched news of the initial flights trickle out while waiting to see if he, his wife and six children would be among the next wave.

"Pray for me," he texted a reporter on WhatsApp. "Very tired ... faced with too much problems to get out of here."
The Washington Post

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US flies 200 Afghan interpreters and family members to Virginia

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About 200 Afghan interpreters and their families arrived in Virginia on Friday, the first evacuations of thousands imperiled because of their work with the United States in Afghanistan as the Taliban gains control of more territory nationwide, US officials said Friday.

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https://abc7news.com/afghanistan-war-in-afganistan-why-did-fall-so-quickly-collapse/10957839/

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New York -- Desperation prompted panic in the Afghan capital as thousands of people who overran Kabul's international airport were unable to board the last flights to freedom. By some accounts, they were clinging to the planes, even strapping themselves to the aircraft's landing gear. They are willing to risk their lives as stowaways, rather than take their chances under Taliban rule.

The U.S. military struggled to secure the airfield, where even 2,500 troops were clearly not enough. In the heart of the city, Taliban fighters took up positions on street corners and set up checkpoints, tightening their grip on the capital city after rolling across the nation with little or no opposition.

Many experts say the United States miscalculated, that administration officials overestimated the strength of the Afghan army and underestimated the capabilities of the Taliban fighters. Once the U.S. signaled its intention to leave, the nation was overrun in a matter of days.

"This is an unmitigated disaster, first and foremost for Afghans. And I would also say that it's an American-sponsored disaster in many ways, we collectively hold responsibility for that across party lines," said Professor Ben Hopkins of George Washington University, a noted expert on Afghanistan.

In this video, he sits down with Channel 7 Eyewitness News reporter N.J. Burkett for a wide-ranging conversation about how we got here and what happens next in Afghanistan.

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Expert: Here's why Afghanistan fell so quickly

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"This is an unmitigated disaster, first and foremost for Afghans. And I would also say that it's an American-sponsored disaster in many ways, we collectively hold responsibility for that across party lines," said Professor Ben Hopkins of George Washington University, a noted expert on Afghanistan.

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https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/nearly-300-taliban-killed-hundreds-injured-in-ops-by-afghan-forces-in-48-hours-101627868560894.html

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As the Taliban and mounted an offensive amid the withdrawal of foreign troops from war-torn Afghanistan, as many as nearly 300 members of the group have been killed and hundreds of others wounded in operations by the country's security forces in different provinces since Saturday, said the ministry of defense has said. "254 Taliban terrorists were killed and 97 wounded as a result of ANDSF (Afghanistan National Defence and Security Forces) operations in Ghazni, Kandahar, Herat, Farah, Jowzjan, Balkh, Samangan, Helmand, Takhar, Kunduz, Baghlan, Kabul & Kapisa provinces during the last 24 hours. Also, 13 IEDs were discovered & defused by #ANA," the ministry of defense tweeted on Sunday.

The ministry of defense also said that 12 Taliban terrorists, including four Pakistanis, were killed and 9 others were wounded in an operation conducted by ANDSF in the Barmal district of Paktika province on Saturday night. Another 11 terrorists were killed in the Panjwae district and on the outskirts of the Kandahar provincial centre, it said in another tweet.
Also watch: Afghanistan forces destroy Taliban hideouts in Kandahar airstrike
Also read | Pak says it wields 'modest leverage' on Taliban; refuses to take in refugees

There has been a surge in violence in Afghanistan as the Taliban have intensified their offensive against Afghan security forces and civilians and have captured several districts. The Afghan foreign ministry has said that the Taliban has seized over 193 district centres and 19 border districts. The Taliban has also taken control of 10 border crossing points in Takhar, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Herat and Farah provinces which has lead to the complete shutdown of cross border movements and trade in these areas.

Also read | China sees both an opportunity and a threat in Afghanistan

Nearly 4,000 ANDSF personnel have been killed, more than 7,000 injured and about 1,600 captured by the Taliban since April 14, the ministry said. As many as 2,000 civilians, including women and children, were killed in the violence, while 2,200 were injured, it added.

Tolo News channel has reported that 70 districts fell to the Taliban in July. The government said that 11 districts have been recaptured from the Taliban in July, however, Yaftal in Badakhshan, Chakhansur in Nimroz, Malistan in Ghazni, Garmsir in Helmand and Guzara in Herat have been taken back by the Taliban.

(With agency inputs)

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Nearly 300 Taliban killed, hundreds injured in ops by Afghan forces in 48 hours

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As the Taliban and mounted an offensive amid the withdrawal of foreign troops from war-torn Afghanistan, as many as nearly 300 members of the group have been killed and hundreds of others wounded in operations by the country's security forces in different provinces since Saturday, said the ministry of defense has said.

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https://www.aljazeera.com/program/inside-story/2021/8/19/is-an-afghan-refugee-crisis-unfolding-in-europe

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Is an Afghan refugee crisis unfolding in Europe?

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Thousands are scrambling to flee Afghanistan and European nations are concerned about influxes of refugees.

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9910065/Shocking-picture-shows-plane-leaving-Kabul-carrying-wife-British-ex-Marine-NO-ONE-else.html

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Shocking image shows near-empty rescue flight taking wife of an ex-Royal Marine commando out of Kabul

Paul 'Pen' Farthing said on Twitter: 'This aircraft is empty... scandalous as thousands wait outside airport'

There have been reports of evacuation flights leaving Afghanistan with just a handful of people on board

British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace insisted the UK has not flown any empty plans out of Kabul

Crowds of up to 50,000 desperate local Afghans are gathering at the airport gates and blocking the way

At the main entrance, Taliban periodically fire into the air to clear crowd in an attempt to disperse the crowd

Fighters were seen shooting over the heads of crowds, striking people with rifles and dishing out beatings

Westerners face a race against time to get out of Kabul, with control of the airport resting on 60,000 troops

A shocking image shows a near-empty evacuation flight taking the wife of an ex-Royal Marine commando out of Kabul despite Britain and the US insisting the rescue mission is in full swing as thousands of trapped Western nationals and Afghans try to flee the Taliban.

Paul 'Pen' Farthing, a British expat who lives in Kabul and got separated from his wife during the chaos engulfing Afghanistan, said on Twitter: 'Kaisa is on her way home! BUT this aircraft is empty... scandalous as thousands wait outside Kabul airport being crushed as they cannot get in. Sadly people will be left behind when this mission is over as we CANNOT get it right'.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace insisted that Britain is using 'every space possible' on its rescue flights and stressed 'every hour counts' in the evacuation effort. He added that Western forces are working to ensure 'not a single seat is wasted'.

However, there have been reports this week of evacuation flights leaving Afghanistan with just a handful of people on board - despite thousands of trapped foreign nationals and locals all struggling to escape the threat of persecution under the new regime.

At least one RAF jet had been forced to leave Afghanistan half-empty because Taliban militants were refusing to let people get to the airport, according to the Times.

Ministers have also been told that the last evacuation flight could leave Kabul in five days - before the planned US withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 31 - and that the accelerated timetable could result in more British nationals and Afghans being left behind.

Government sources told the paper that ministers have 'not agreed any date for either the end of the evacuation or the departure of the military', and would prefer an orderly evacuation over a longer period than a hasty 24-hour scuttle to get as many people out as possible.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in Washington that 6,000 people were cleared for evacuation Thursday and were expected to board military flights in coming hours.

Westerners and visa holders trying to get to their flights say they are unable to get to the gates because of the crowd of up to 50,000 desperate locals who are gathering outside the airport and begging US and British troops to let them through.

US troops have been firing warning shots to disperse thousands of desperate Afghans outside the airport, with footage taken on Wednesday night showing stun grenades flashing beside the perimeter. Expats who tried to get through the gate claimed the shots were fired by Western forces.

At the main entrance, Taliban fighters periodically fire into the air to clear the crowd in an attempt to disperse the crowd - but video of the fighters unleashing a volley of automatic fire shows the terrifying gauntlet evacuees have to negotiate.

Taliban fighters were seen shooting over the heads of crowds, striking people with rifles, while those on the ground reported beatings and whippings being dished out seemingly at random. Crowds have also gathered at the entrance to the military wing of the airport, which is guarded by US and British troops who have been firing into the air to disperse the crowds.

Westerners face a race against time to get out of Kabul, with control of the airport resting on the up to 60,000 troops. Joe Biden has said they will stay until all US citizens are evacuated, but there are suspicions among British troops that they could leave abruptly - leaving the 600 British unable to keep operating to evacuate UK nationals and interpreters.

Farthing told MailOnline that British troops fired warning shots over the heads of a mother who was clutching a small baby. He said: 'There were a number of shots fired overhead and people started rushing around in panic. I don't know whether it was live rounds but even if it wasn't the fear factor is the same.

'It does nothing to resolve the matter and makes an already tense situation much worse.'

While US and UK troops have said that firing warning shots is a last resort, the Taliban are causing pandemonium and were filmed today shooting from the hip just yards away from women and children, and whacking people with the butts of their rifles.

Such is the desperation among crowds at the airport that women have resorted to passing babies over barbed wire to soldiers in a vain attempt to get them out of the country.

In other developments:

Joe Biden said he can't 'recall' if he was warned to maintain a troop presence in Afghanistan;

The US President insisted 'no one is being killed' during the chaos at the Kabul airport;

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed an armed resistance to the Taliban, which includes SAS-trained forces, in Afghanistan is forming in the Panjshir Valley;

Afghanistan's biggest female pop star has escaped on a US flight out of Kabul as fears grow for women in the country after the Taliban's vow to impose Sharia;

Taliban militants are intensifying their hunt for people who worked with UK, US and Nato forces in Afghanistan, according to a confidential report to the UN;

The British Foreign Office issued a slew of action shots of Dominic Raab hard at work as he faced fury for failing to make a crucial phone call about Afghanistan while he was on holiday;

Women have led anti-Taliban protesters in Afghanistan today as they waved national flags in defiance of the Islamists to mark their country's independence day.

The Afghan teen who chose to die clinging to plane rather than live under the Taliban: Football player, 19, with an influencer-style social media profile is identified as boy who tried to cling to landing gear of US jet and was found dead in wheel

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab's job was hanging by a thread last night as it emerged the crucial phone call that was delegated to a junior minister never took place.

Tory MPs yesterday joined a ferocious backlash against Mr Raab over his failure to intervene while on holiday to help airlift translators out of Afghanistan. The Mail revealed yesterday that the Foreign Secretary had been advised by officials to interrupt his luxury trip to Crete on Friday to urgently contact his Afghan counterpart.

Mr Raab, however, failed to make the call and it was 'delegated' to the duty Foreign Office minister Lord Goldsmith. It was thought the telephone conversation had then taken place the following day.

But in an explosive development last night it emerged the call had never actually taken place. The Foreign Office admitted that as the Afghan regime collapsed, it had proved impossible to rearrange.

The revelation will intensify the pressure on Mr Raab, who yesterday faced a clamour to consider his position and resign.

Yesterday, he insisted he would not step down as he broke cover to hold a virtual meeting of G7 leaders. The Foreign Office released pictures of the Foreign Secretary at work and on the phone and said he was working to provide humanitarian assistance and support in Afghanistan.

Afghans who risked their lives by working as translators alongside British soldiers accused the Foreign Secretary of a 'betrayal' and warned that his failure to get urgent assistance could cost lives.

Angry Conservative MPs accused Mr Raab for being 'asleep at the wheel' and of lacking commitment to the job, with one Tory peer saying he should reflect on his future. Opposition parties meanwhile, said Mr Raab was guilty of a 'dereliction of duty' and called for him to be sacked.

Afghan translator Rafi Hottak, who was injured while alongside soldiers in Helmand, was among those to tell of his fury last night, saying: 'It is a betrayal.

'The priority should have been British citizens and those Afghans who helped them. They are trapped in chaos now and in the days and hours before the Taliban arrived anything that could have been done should have been done.'

And one angry Tory MP said: 'Raab was asleep at the wheel. Backbench MPs are absolutely livid about his 'not my problem guv' attitude, as if it was not his responsibility. It has really riled up colleagues. The issue is not that he was on holiday, it is that he seemed to be unaware of what was happening.'

Last night, a leaked United Nations report warned the Taliban were now plotting murderous revenge against those Afghans who had worked with the West. The head of the group providing intelligence to the UN warned the Taliban were carrying out a highly-organised door-to-door hunt for people on their wanted list.

Female demonstrators took to the streets of Kabul waving the black, red and green flag which has become a symbol of defiance to the country's jihadist rulers.

They were joined by thousands across the country who celebrated the 1919 handover of power from the British by rejecting their new overlords. It comes just a day after three were shot dead for flying the flag during protests.

The Taliban responded with beatings and gunfire while tearing down flags, despite their pledge to be a 'reformed' and 'moderate' version of the brutal outfit which controlled Afghanistan in the 1990s.

Islamists fighters have also been celebrating independence day in their own fashion - by flying their black and white flag and claiming victory over American forces.

The chaos outside the airport appears to be growing by the day and is causing dangerous stampedes in which several people have already been killed this week, including a 14-year-old girl.

Former British Marine, Mr Farthing, told MailOnline: 'Two expats - one British and one Norwegian - have already been forced to turn back this morning because they can't get through.

'And last night a UN convoy carrying various foreign nationals, who had been working in Afghanistan for NGOs, had to turn round because of the sheer volume of people on the street.'

An Afghan-Australian trying to leave the country also told ABC it is 'not possible' to get to the airport because there is 'lots of firing' and 'too many people' while Max Sangeen, a Canadian interpreter, said his wife and children - including a 20-day-old baby - are trapped in Kabul despite having the correct documents.

But it is not clear what western troops can do to help. There are around 6,000 American and 900 British soldiers at the airport - alongside smaller numbers of Turks and Australians - but their jurisdiction only extends up to the perimeter wall. Beyond that, the Taliban is in charge.

The huge US contingent keeping the airport secured piles pressure on Britain to get its citizens out quickly, with the smaller UK force unlikely to be able the hold the site if the Americans leave.

Those on the ground say the Islamists have little or no idea what they are doing or who to let through, as the UN warned fighters are hunting through the crowd for those who collaborated with British or American forces so they can be 'punished' - despite public reassurances that there will be no reprisal attacks.

Mr Wallace said Taliban guards are allowing people with travel documents through checkpoints and British flights are not leaving the country empty - insisting that 'not a single seat is wasted'. He revealed 120 people were evacuated this morning, with 138 due to follow later.

There were eight RAF transport planes - made up of A400 Atlas, C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemasters - scheduled to leave Kabul today. But with military transports able to carry up to 150, it means there will have been empty seats on the flights despite Mr Wallace's claims.

The passengers were made up of British citizens, media and human rights staff and Afghans who had worked for the British. The Ministry of Defence confirmed there were six British flights out of Kabul on Wednesday - despite Mr Wallace saying there were seven to 10 daily - meaning a maximum of 900 passengers were on board and free from the Taliban.

Meanwhile Joe Biden said when pressed Wednesday US troops were 'going to stay' in Afghanistan until they get American citizens out, even if it means running through an August 31 deadline order. The US President made the statement despite his own order soldiers will leave by the date, acknowledging the effort could run over if its citizens are still stuck in Afghanistan amid security and bureaucratic hurdles.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said he expects 18 US flights to take off today, though it is not clear how many people will be able to board each plane.

But Farthing slammed the comments as naive, saying: 'Nobody can actually reach [the processing centre] because of the crowds and the chaos surrounding it.

Taliban is intensifying hunt for Afghans who worked for US and UK as they go door-to-door to threaten relatives, UN report warns despite the terror group's claims of an 'amnesty'

'It's a lottery whether you get picked to get through the security. At the moment people who have seats booked on flights out of the airport are being turned back while others who storm fencing or are picked completely at random are getting on planes.

'I'm livid at the Government's mishandling of this, they need to take a moment, get their heads together, and work out a way with the Americans to help fly out ex-pats and those who need safety- like those who work for me - because otherwise we are looking at the worst humanitarian disaster in Afghanistan for a generation.'

Fawad Ahmadzai, another Canadian interpreter, said he and his family - a wife and four children - had been forced to 'fight' their way through guards to get to the airport terminal - saying they ignored his Canadian travel documents, beat him, and shot at him.

'I was waving at them that I am a Canadian citizen,' he said. 'They didn't even care about which passport I carry, they would only push us and hit us, and shooting ahead of us, scaring us so that we would leave.'

German national Vanessa Faizi, who had become trapped in Kabul after going to Afghanistan to visit family, spoke of violence at the airport before she managed to get a flight out.

'We saw children being trampled on,' she told journalists at an airport back in Germany.

Mr Wallace urged Afghan women not to pass babies to soldiers, saying unaccompanied children will not be put on flights. He did not say where the children will end up instead.

Elsewhere, Biden continued to defend his decision to withdraw - insisting chaos was inevitable while dismissing footage of people falling to their deaths from US planes as happening 'four or five days ago'.

Boris Johnson was also mauled over the British government's response to the crisis in a Commons debate, while foreign secretary Dominic Raab was facing calls to resign after it emerged he failed to make a crucial phone call about getting Afghan translators out of the country - delegating to a junior minister.

Labour MP Tom Tugendhat summed up the feeling of dismay when he said: 'This is what defeat looks like.'

Mr Wallace also warned of the long-term damage the retreat from Afghanistan will do to the perception of western power, saying the scenes playing out in Kabul will encourage enemies in Moscow.

'What I'm uncomfortable with is that we have a world order now, where resolve is perceived by our adversaries as weak, the West's resolve,' Wallace told BBC TV.

'That is something we should all worry about: if the West is seen not to have resolve and it fractures, then our adversaries like Russia find that encouraging,' Wallace told LBC radio.

Britain fears the Taliban's return and the vacuum left by the West's chaotic withdrawal will allow militants from al Qaeda to gain a foothold in Afghanistan, just 20 years after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

As the airlift of Western citizens and Afghans who worked for foreign governments sought to ramp up, Biden said US forces will remain until the evacuation of Americans was finished, even if that meant staying past the August 31 deadline for complete withdrawal.

In total, at least 8,000 people have been evacuated since Sunday, a Western security source in Kabul said.

Afghan women defy the Taliban on second day of protests as thousands take to the streets waving the national flag to mark Afghan independence day - after Islamists killed three demonstrators yesterday

A day earlier armed Taliban members prevented people from getting into the airport compound.

'It's a complete disaster. The Taliban were firing into the air, pushing people, beating them with AK47s,' said one person who was trying to get through on Wednesday.

A Taliban official said commanders and soldiers had fired into the air to disperse crowds outside Kabul airport, but told Reuters: 'We have no intention to injure anyone.'

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said domestic air carriers and civilian pilots will be allowed to fly into Kabul to conduct evacuation or relief flights only with prior US Defense Department approval.

Facing a barrage of criticism over the US withdrawal, Biden said chaos was inevitable. Asked in an interview with ABC News if the exit of US troops could have been handled better, Biden said: 'No. ... The idea that somehow, there's a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I don't know how that happens.'

A new government to replace that of President Ashraf Ghani, who is in exile in the United Arab Emirates, may take the form of a ruling council, with Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada in overall charge, a senior member of the group said.

Afghanistan would not be a democracy. 'It is sharia law and that is it,' Waheedullah Hashimi, a senior Taliban official, told Reuters.

Ghani, who has been bitterly criticised by former ministers for leaving Afghanistan as Taliban forces swept into Kabul on Sunday, said he had followed the advice of government officials. He denied reports he took large sums of money with him.

'If I had stayed, I would be witnessing bloodshed in Kabul,' Ghani said in a video streamed on Facebook.

Meanwhile the Taliban celebrated Afghanistan's Independence Day on Thursday by declaring it had beaten 'the arrogant of power of the world' in the United States, but challenges to their rule ranging from running the country's frozen government to potentially facing armed opposition began to emerge.

From ATMs being out of cash to worries about food across this nation of 38 million people reliant on imports, the Taliban face all the challenges of the civilian government they dethroned without the level of international aid it enjoyed.

Afghanistan's biggest pop star flees amid fears captured female governor will be executed

The Taliban so far have offered no plans for the government they plan to lead, other than to say it will be guided by Shariah, or Islamic, law. But the pressure continues to grow.

'A humanitarian crisis of incredible proportions is unfolding before our eyes,' warned Mary Ellen McGroarty, the head of the World Food Program in Afghanistan.

Thursday marked Afghanistan's Independence Day, which commemorates the 1919 treaty that ended British rule in the central Asian nation.

'Fortunately, today we are celebrating the anniversary of independence from Britain,' the Taliban said. 'We at the same time as a result of our jihadi resistance forced another arrogant of power of the world, the United States, to fail and retreat from our holy territory of Afghanistan.'

Unacknowledged by the insurgents, however, was their violent suppression of a protest Wednesday in the eastern city of Jalalabad, which saw demonstrations lower the Taliban's flag and replace it with Afghanistan's tricolor. At least one person was killed.

While urging people to return to work, most government officials remain hiding in their homes or attempting to flee the Taliban.

Questions remain over Afghanistan's $9 billion foreign reserves, the vast majority now apparently frozen in the US. The country's Central Bank head warns the country's supply of physical US dollars is 'close to zero,' which will see inflation raise the prices of needed food while depreciating its currency, the afghani.

In another blow to the country, a drought has seen over 40 per cent of the country's crop lost, McGroarty said. Many fled the Taliban advance and now live in parks and open spaces in Kabul.

'This is really Afghanistan's hour of greatest need, and we urge the international community to stand by the Afghan people at this time,' she said.

Two of Afghanistan's key border crossings with Pakistan, Torkham near Jalalabad and Chaman near Spin Boldak, are now open for cross-border trade.

Hundreds of trucks have passed through, Pakistan's interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said.

But traders still fear insecurity on the roads, confusion over customs duties and pressures to price their goods even higher given the economic conditions.

There has been no armed opposition to the Taliban. But videos from the Panjshir Valley north of Kabul, a stronghold of the Northern Alliance militias that allied with the US during the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, appear to show potential opposition figures gathering there. That area is in the only province that has not fallen to the Taliban.

Those figures include members of the deposed government - Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who asserted on Twitter that he is the country's rightful president, and Defense Minister Gen. Bismillah Mohammadi - as well as Ahmad Massoud, the son of the slain Northern Alliance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud.

In an opinion piece published by The Washington Post, Massoud asked for weapons and aid to fight the Taliban.

'A little girl is dead because the world turned away from us': The Afghan girl, 14, who was trampled to death in stampede at Kabul airport

Afghan president defends his decision to flee

He wrote: 'I write from the Panjshir Valley today, ready to follow in my father's footsteps, with mujahideen fighters who are prepared to once again take on the Taliban.

'The Taliban is not a problem for the Afghan people alone. Under Taliban control, Afghanistan will without doubt become ground zero of radical Islamist terrorism; plots against democracies will be hatched here once again.'

Afghan protesters defied the Taliban for a second day today, waving their national flag in scattered demonstrations that were met with renewed violence by the militants who are facing growing challenges to their rule.

A UN official warned of dire food shortages in this nation of 38 million people reliant on imports and experts said the country was severely short on cash, highlighting that the Taliban face the same problems as the civilian government they dethroned without the level of international aid it enjoyed.

In light of these challenges, the militants have moved quickly to suppress any dissent, despite their promises they have become more moderate since they last imposed draconian rule on Afghanistan. Many fear the Taliban will succeed in erasing two decades of efforts to expand women's and human rights and remake the country.

A procession of cars and people near Kabul's airport carried long black, red and green banners in honor of the Afghan flag - a banner that is becoming a symbol of defiance since the militants have their own flag. At another protest in Nangarhar province, video posted online showed one demonstrator with a gunshot wound bleeding, as onlookers tried to carry him away.

In Khost province, Taliban authorities instituted a 24-hour curfew Thursday after violently breaking up another protest, according to information obtained by journalists monitoring from abroad. The militants did not immediately acknowledge the demonstration or the curfew.

Protesters also took the streets in Kunar province, according to witnesses and social media videos that lined up with reporting by The Associated Press.

The demonstrations - which come as Afghans mark the Independence Day holiday that commemorates the 1919 treaty that ended British rule - were a remarkable show of defiance after the insurgents violently dispersed a protest Wednesday. At that rally, in the eastern city of Jalalabad, demonstrators lowered the Taliban's flag and replace it with Afghanistan's tricolor. At least one person was killed.

Meanwhile, opposition figures gathering in the last area of the country not under Taliban rule talked of launching an armed resistance under the banner of the Northern Alliance, which allied with the U.S. during the 2001 invasion.

It was not clear how serious a threat they posed given that the militants overran nearly the entire country in a matter of days with little resistance from Afghan forces.

The Taliban so far have offered no specifics on how they will lead, other than to say they will be guided by Shariah, or Islamic, law. They are in talks with senior officials of previous Afghan governments. But they face an increasingly precarious situation.

'We haven't sent out a single empty plane so far': Ben Wallace insists 'not one seat is wasted' on RAF flights out of Kabul despite scenes of carnage at airport - with 250 more families set to be evacuated today

Ben Wallace today insisted the UK has not flown any empty planes out of Kabul despite carnage at the airport and fears the Talibanare blocking access.

The Defence Secretary said Western forces were working together to ensure that 'not a single seat is wasted' on the evacuation flights.

He said 'the Taliban are letting through our people' with 120 families being airlifted today, and another 138 families to follow later.

Mr Wallace stressed the desperate efforts to get people out will continue as long as US forces are in charge of the airport - with Joe Bidensuggesting he could keep troops in place beyond his previous August 31 deadline.

Responding to reports that evacuation flights to other countries had left with only a handful of people on board, Mr Wallace told Times Radio: 'Our people are getting through, we haven't sent a single empty plane home.

'And I don't think many other nations have. I can't speak for other nations, obviously, but fundamentally, the key here is when we have a plane if we have a single empty seat, we will offer it to other nations.

'We've taken out interpreters who work for Nato, for example, we've taken out fellow European or other... we took some Japanese people out recently who were in need, so we will use every space on our planes possible.'

Boris is savaged by MPs on BOTH sides of packed Commons including Theresa May over 'catastrophic failure' amid fears Afghanistan will be 'breeding ground' for terror again - but PM blames Biden saying mission could not carry on without 'US might'

Thousands of British nationals and Afghan allies have been trying to get out of the country after the government dramatically collapsed and the Taliban took charge.

There have been grim scenes of women pleading to be let through the gates at the airport, and even reports of babies being passed over the railings by mothers.

UK ambassador Laurie Bristow, who has stayed in Kabul to process applications, has warned that there could only be 'days' left to evacuate people, with the extremists now controlling all access points.

Around 10,000 Afghan staff who helped the Western forces over the past year are now expected to come to the UK. The Government has also announced Britain will take 20,000 Afghans under a resettlement scheme, with 5,000 due to be accepted in the next 12 months. Women and girls as well as religious minorities and others facing persecution will be prioritised.

Downing Street said the Government will be encouraging international partners to emulate 'one of the most generous asylum schemes in British history' - but Labour said the offer was not bold enough.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is facing a huge backlash today after it emerged help for Afghan interpreters might have been delayed because he was on holiday in Crete last week.

The Daily Mail revealed that Foreign Office officials urged Mr Raab to call Afghan foreign minister Hanif Atmar on Friday - two days before the Taliban marched on Kabul - only for him to be 'unavailable' while on holiday.

The Afghan foreign ministry then apparently refused to arrange a call with a junior minister, pushing it back to the next day. The Foreign Office said: 'The Foreign Secretary was engaged on a range of other calls and this one was delegated to another minister.'

Nick Thomas-Symonds, Labour's shadow home secretary, accused Mr Raab of a 'dereliction of duty'. He added: 'Failing to make a call has put the lives of brave interpreters at risk, after they served so bravely with our military. Utterly shameful.'

As he scrambles to shore up his position with a flurry of activity, Mr Raab is due to speak with fellow G7 ministers today to discuss international co-operation before leaders of the group - which, as well as the UK, includes the US, Canada, Japan, Germany, France and Italy - hold a virtual meeting next week.

Mr Raab also held talks last night with his counterparts in India and the US - the second time he has spoken to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week.

The decision of the Prime Minister, who is said to have gone to Somerset, and Mr Raab to take holiday while the Taliban advanced came under scrutiny during a lively Commons debate on Wednesday as Parliament was recalled from its summer break for MPs and peers to debate the Afghanistan situation.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer criticised the pair as he told MPs: 'You cannot co-ordinate an international response from the beach.'

Downing Street said the Prime Minister would be turning his attention to international efforts to support the Afghan people, including the emerging refugee crisis.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: 'We are now asking our international partners to match the UK's commitments and work with us to offer a lifeline to Afghanistan's most vulnerable people.'

However, shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy was critical of the Government's offer during an appearance on the BBC's Question Time. The senior Labour MP said it was 'absolutely clear that 5,000 is too small a number over the next 12 months' and called for a 'more generous offer' to be made.

The refugee debate comes after No 10 already announced an increase in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, doubling it to £286 million.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman denied that the money would be given to the Taliban, telling reporters it would be distributed in conjunction with the United Nations (UN) and other NGOs (non-governmental organisations).

Mr Johnson and US President Joe Biden both came in for heavy criticism during the emergency debate in Parliament.

In a packed Commons chamber, the Prime Minister defended the final pull-out of British troops, saying it was an 'illusion' to think the international military mission could have continued without US forces.

But predecessor Theresa May was among those to take aim at Mr Johnson's approach, accusing him of hoping 'on a wing and a prayer it'd be all right on the night' once the US and its allies had withdrawn from Afghanistan.

Mrs May also hit out at Mr Biden's decision to 'unilaterally' pull out of Afghanistan, with senior MPs - including former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt and former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith - directing their ire at the White House incumbent.

In Afghanistan, British efforts to repatriate British nationals and local Afghan backers is continuing to gather pace despite chaotic scenes at the airport, with Taliban fighters carrying out spot checks.

Mr Johnson, in his update to MPs, said the Government had so far secured the safe return of 306 UK nationals and 2,052 Afghans during its rescue efforts.

The British ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Laurie Bristow, said Foreign Office personnel were hoping to get 'at least' 1,000 people out of the country every day - but warned there were 'days, not weeks' left to complete the mission.

Joe Biden snaps over photos of Afghans falling from planes in Kabul and suggests there's no way America could have gotten out 'without chaos ensuing'

President Joe Biden angrily defended his handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying on Wednesday that chaos was unavoidable - comments which were immediately seized on as shameful by his critics.

Speaking to ABC's George Stephanopoulos, Biden defended the US withdrawal, which saw the Afghan government crumble and fall to the Taliban just 11 days later.

On Wednesday the US military evacuated approximately 1,800 individuals on ten C-17s. Since August 14, nearly 6,000 people have been taken out of Kabul. Biden told ABC News said he wants to rescue 15,000 Americans, and up to 65,000 Afghan refugees who helped the US military operation.

'The idea that somehow, there's a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing - I don't know how that happens,' he said.

His remarks were met with disbelief.

Nikki Haley, Donald Trump's ambassador to the UN, said it was 'shameful'.

'This is such a slap in the face to the thousands of Americans still in Afghanistan,' she tweeted.

'He had no plan, he has no urgency, and he won't take responsibility. #Shameful'

Liz Cheney, senator for Wyoming, who has long argued against withdrawing troops, echoed her remarks, saying: 'A truly ignorant and shameful performance by an American president.'

Tom Cotton, Republican senator for Arkansas, tweeted: 'No way to avoid this chaos? That's a bald-faced lie. Joe Biden is as dishonest as he is impotent.'

Kellyanne Conway, Trump's former senior counselor, shared a Fox News article titled: 'Biden panned for 'shameful' comments on Afghan withdrawal during ABC interview: 'It's really bad'.'

Iowa congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks said that the White House's lack of planning was 'unacceptable'.

'This statement downplaying his administrations lack of planning, speaks volumes to their lack of commitment to the safety of our American troops and Afghan allies,' she said.

'Unacceptable.'

John McCormack, a fellow at the National Review Institute, agreed, saying: 'Biden waited more than 72 hours since Kabul fell to commit to bringing home every American citizen stuck in Afghanistan. In the interim, top admin officials hedged. Still not clear what the plan is to accomplish this goal.'

Commentator Jack Posobiec tweeted: 'Biden just told ABC that the Afghanistan withdrawal couldn't have been handled better There are thousands of American citizens trapped behind enemy lines as he speaks.'

Donald Trump Jr criticized Biden's press conference on Wednesday, during which he spoke about COVID, and refused to take questions.

'10,000 Americans or more are stranded in Afghanistan, trapped by a terrorist organization, and our president is too much of a coward to take a single question from the media. #CowardInChief,' he said.

At another point in the interview, Biden snapped when asked about horrific images of Afghans falling from planes.

'That was four days ago, five days ago,' he said, even though the images of people falling to their deaths emerged on Monday.

Ric Grenell, who served as Trump's ambassador to Germany, said: Why did @GStephanopoulos let him lie about this?

'@Abc has some explaining to do. This was an exclusive and that means they have a responsibility.'

The Massachusetts Republican Party account tweeted: 'If #Biden actually had a plan, Afghans wouldn't have been falling out of the sky over #Kabul. Disgraceful!'

On social media, images of chaos at Kabul airport were widely shared. Unreal. Shame on the @JoeBiden administration for this mess,' tweeted pro life activist Lila Rose.

Sharing the clip of desperate Afghans running alongside a U.S. Air Force plane, trying to climb aboard, David Patrikarakos tweeted: 'This footage will still be played in 100 years.

'It now joins images of the retreat from Saigon and the naked Vietnamese girl as one of the west's most shameful moments in modern history.'

Translator saved by the Angel of Kabul: Former intelligence officer comes to the rescue of Afghan interpreter

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Plane leaves Kabul carrying wife of ex-Marine but almost NO ONE else

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Shocking image shows near-empty rescue flight taking wife of an ex-Royal Marine commando out of Kabul Paul 'Pen' Farthing said on Twitter: 'This aircraft is empty...