TUESDAY August 17, 2021: 'Afghanistan Redux' by ZUMA award winning Photographer Adam Rountree who was in Kandahar when the Taliban arrived: On 10 August, the US intelligence warned that the Afghanistan government will collapse in 30 to 90 days and the Taliban could take control. Five days later, Kabul fell, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled, and Washington witnessed another 1975 Saigon air evacuation like situation. The nation which had only just begun to start showing signs of recovery from the devastation of a 20 year war returned to the dark times it had left behind. Thousands of Afghans have fled their homes amid fears the Taliban will again impose a brutal, repressive government, all but eliminating women's rights and conducting public amputations, stoning's and executions. The US has spent $83 billion training, equipping, and paying Afghanistan's security forces since 2001, yet despite all that assistance, Afghanistan's military and police have proved incapable of securing the country. According to the IRC currently 18 million people in the country require humanitarian aid. Welcome to 'Afghanistan Redux'
© Story of the Week #797: TUESDAY August 17, 2021: 'Afghanistan Redux' by ZUMA award winning Photographer Adam Rountree who was in Kandahar when the Taliban arrived: On 10 August, the US intelligence warned that the Afghanistan government will collapse in 30 to 90 days and the Taliban could take control. Five days later, Kabul fell, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled, and Washington witnessed another 1975 Saigon air evacuation like situation. The nation which had only just begun to start showing signs of recovery from the devastation of a 20 year war returned to the dark times it had left behind. Thousands of Afghans have fled their homes amid fears the Taliban will again impose a brutal, repressive government, all but eliminating women's rights and conducting public amputations, stoning's and executions. The US has spent $83 billion training, equipping, and paying Afghanistan's security forces since 2001, yet despite all that assistance, Afghanistan's military and police have proved incapable of securing the country. According to the IRC currently 18 million people in the country require humanitarian aid. Welcome to 'Afghanistan Redux'

Three Taliban fighters brandishing AK47 rifles can be seen on a motorcycle riding through the streets on the outskirts of Kandahar.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Shell casings fill the air as members of the Afghan Military fire on Taliban positions from their armored humvee. The fighting in Kandahar intensified as the Taliban swept through and took control of the city.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Afghan soldiers climb nearby rocky hilltop and keep watch for Taliban fighters at a military outpost in the Arghandab district of Kandahar.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

A young girl stands near make shift tents can be seen at a temporary refugee camp on outskirts of Kandahar. Thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) were forced to flee their homes during clashes between Afghan force and Taliban fighters.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Children inside of a boarding school dormitory where 1500 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) who had to flee their homes due to the clashes between Afghan force and Taliban fighters have sought refuge.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

An Afghan woman wearing a burkha drags food and other items she received at a WEP aid distribution site outside to load into a taxi and take back to the temporary refugee camp where she shelters. Thousands of people have been displaced by the clashes between Afghan soldiers and Taliban fighters.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Afghan girl playing with her scarf in the streets of Kandahar. Many fear the years of progress made with women's rights will be completely undone by the Taliban including education, independence, access to healthcare.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Afghan soldiers can be seen through a Humvee window at a military outpost in the Arghandab district of Kandahar. The US has spent $83 billion training, equipping, and paying Afghanistan's security forces since 2001, yet despite all that assistance, Afghanistan's military and police have proved incapable of securing the country.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Children are seen gathering water from a water truck outside of a boarding school dormitory where 1500 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) who had to flee their homes due to the clashes between Afghan force and Taliban fighters have sought refuge.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

An Afghan soldier stands beside the corpse of a Taliban fighter who was killed when he climbed over a razor wire wall of a police outpost and fired on sleeping police officers.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Blood and dirt on the hand of a dead Taliban fighter who was killed when he climbed over a razor wire wall of a police outpost and fired on sleeping Afghan police officers.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

An angry Afghan soldier fires multiple shots into the corps of a Taliban fighter. The Taliban fighter was killed when he climbed over a razor wire wall of a police outpost and fired on sleeping police officers.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Afghan soldiers climb nearby hilltop above a village and keep watch for Taliban fighters at a military outpost in the Arghandab district of Kandahar.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Children play near make shift tents can be seen at a temporary refugee camp on outskirts of Kandahar. Thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) were forced to flee their homes during clashes between Afghan force and Taliban fighters.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Young girls stand in the shade as Afghans collect food and sanitary items from a WEP aid distribution site. According to the IRC currently 18 million people in the country require humanitarian aid.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Taliban fighters seen through a windshield driving around the city in a seized Afghan Police pickup truck after they defeated the Afghan Military and Police forces.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

A man distributes bread to Afghans living at a temporary refugee site. Thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) have had to flee their homes due to the clashes between Afghan force and Taliban fighters.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Afghans collect food and sanitary items from a WEP distribution site. Thousands of people have been displaced by the clashes between Afghan soldiers and Taliban fighters.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Afghan women wearing traditional burkhas sit with children resting in the shade at a temporary refugee camp outside kandahar. Thousands of Afghans have fled their homes amid fears the Taliban will again impose a brutal, repressive government, all but eliminating women's rights and conducting public amputations, stonings and executions.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Afghan men are startled by gun fire and explosions as NOOR MOHAMMAD AGHA (behind) digs graves for his parents who were shot to death by Taliban fighters while they were simply out driving around town.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

A doctor examines an x-ray of a gun shot victim at the Mirwis Regional Hospital in Kandahar. The hospital received a surge of wounded civilians and soldiers as clashes with the Taliban intensified in the early hours of August 11.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Smoke fills the sky in the early morning after a former US Military base was allegedly destroyed during a US airstrike to render any leftover US military equipment useless to the Taliban.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

After taking control of Kandahar, Taliban fighters can gather outside of the Kandahar Airport eager to take possession of any equipment left by Afghan troops from the adjoining military base.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire

Afghan woman in a traditional burka walks past a man and a child in a Kabul street days prior to the Taliban over running the city.
© Adam Rountree/ZUMA Press Wire