For the last two decades, US troops have been deployed in Afghanistan, working to provide better safety for the people, and helping with women and children’s rights. Recently, President Biden decided to remove troops from Afghanistan, because he believed US soldiers shouldn’t be fighting in a war that Afghan forces aren’t willing to fight for themselves. Many were hopeful that Afghanistan troops would protect their country and the people, but it immediately went downhill.

A wave of chaos soon followed once US troops left. The capital, Kabul, was captured by the terrorist group, the Taliban. They took control of the Afghan presidential palace, after Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan’s president, fled the country. Many Afghanistan citizens decided they needed to flee the country, in any way, shape, or form.

Citizens rushed to Kabul’s airport, in order to hopefully achieve freedom. Many citizens clung to the side of a US military jet, so desperate for an escape. Hoards of people ran along with the jet taking off, and sadly, some falling to their death. Other countries are not supplying aid to help Afghanistan citizens either leave the country, or help stop the Taliban, leaving the people in distress and sorrow.

With the Taliban now ruling over Afghanistan, many wonder what this might mean for the citizens still in Afghanistan. Women living in Afghanistan will be stripped of their rights. In the past, the Taliban had formed very strict regulations for women to follow. These rules included no nail polish, no education, covering their whole bodies, not being allowed to work, and they could not leave their house unless with a male relative. If they were to break any of these rules, they would be publicly beaten and humiliated. This strikes fear into many women across the nation.

Over the 2 decades of fighting in the Afghanistan War, the US alone has spent 2 trillion dollars. All that money just went to waste since the efforts put in place have now been destroyed. Over 2,000 American soldiers have lost their lives in the Afghanistan war, and many feel as if now, they died for nothing. Many citizens across the world are shell-shocked and fearful of what life will be like in Afghanistan, and the tragedies that will soon follow suit.

Across campus, many students have their own opinions and thoughts on the crisis. When asked the question, What was your immediate reaction to finding out the Taliban captured Kabul, here were their responses.

“I was shocked. I’m super anti-war, but seeing the footage of civilians desperate to get out breaks my heart”, said Senior Kristen Griffin.

“The declining American effort already implied that it was inevitable. It’s frightening to see history repeat itself”, Carson Lui, Senior, said.

”When you expect a horrifying outcome, you get that wave of terror, the stomach dropping fear like you’ve just jumped off a cliff. And yet, you knew it would happen. The disappointment, the sadness of knowing that such a thing was avoidable, the feeling like it could’ve been prevented,” Tessa Crabtree, Senior, explained.

“I cried literal tears for our troops, the lives lost in the fighting to maintain control in Afghanistan, and the women and children that would be punished for learning things that the rest of the world is privileged enough to know”, Junior Truman Nelson expressed.

“The United States spent all that time and effort fighting just to give up and surrender control to the Taliban. They essentially wasted their time just to leave and abandon the people of Afghanistan. They not only wasted time but they also wasted people’s lives just to give up and leave,” Ryan Dickner, Junior, shared.

“My immediate reaction was shock because we have been there so long but I feel for the people who will have to fall under unfair rule because of the Taliban takeover”, Junior Ciara Anderson, said. 

Overall, students were shocked by the terrors occurring in the middle east.  Many anticipate anxiously what the next step will be in order to aid the citizens of Afghanistan.