Exiting Afghanistan: the women and allies left behind

What does the Taliban takeover mean for women and girls in Afghanistan? And, why didn't the U.S. evacuate Afghan interpreters who now face deadly retribution by the Taliban.

Air Date: August 18, 2021 10:00 am

Internally displaced school teacher wearing a burqa from Takhar province, who identified herself by her first name, Nilofar, inside her tent in a public park in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 13, 2021. Many women in Afghanistan remain at home because they are too terrified to venture into a new world ruled by the Taliban.. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)

The Taliban’s forceful takeover of Afghanistan came almost immediately after US troops began to withdraw from the region, leaving tens of thousands of civilians desperate to evacuate. Roads heavily militarized by Taliban forces and scenes of Afghan men clinging to planes departing a Kabul airport indicate the potential for a devastating humanitarian crisis. Many Americans are astounded that the United States did not evacuate more Afghan allies and their families, like interpreters who had risked their lives working with our military. There is also concern for Afghan women and girls who now face the return of an oppressive and violent regime. On today’s Radio Times, we discuss the dangers facing women and their daughters in Afghanistan with foreign correspondent ATIA ABAWI and photojournalist LYNSEY ADDARIO. Then, we talk with military veteran STEVE MISKA about what can be done to help those left behind and the possibility that it’s simply too late.

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