The fall of Kabul came gradually, then suddenly.

U.S. President Joe Biden¡¯s decision to withdraw all American combat troops from Afghanistan brought about the collapse of the Afghan government, the overpowering of the 300,000-strong national army hit by the Taliban¡¯s surprise attack, and regional and global geopolitical shifts.

The world was shocked by the chaotic footage of a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane packed with evacuees taking off as civilians clung on, with some falling off midair.