This episode contains strong language. 

On Sunday, the president of Afghanistan fled the country; the Taliban seized control of Kabul, the capital; and the American-backed government collapsed.

One outspoken critic of the Taliban — a 33-year-old Kabul resident who asked that we refer to her by the initial R for fear of retaliation — shared her experiences as the insurgents closed in.

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Background reading: 

• Kabul fell to the Taliban far faster than many had imagined it would, leaving most Afghans with no way out.
• The Afghan military was built over 20 years. How did it collapse so quickly?

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