Five Years After Kabul's Fall, Afghan Allies Remain Stranded and Abandoned Abroad

Five years after the Taliban retook Kabul, Afghan soldiers who fought alongside Western forces remain exiled, stateless, and forgotten.

Blood pooling on the tarmac of Kabul airport became one of the defining images of August 2021, when the Taliban swept back into power and triggered a chaotic Western evacuation. Five years on, the human consequences of that collapse are still unfolding for tens of thousands of Afghans who sided with U.S. and coalition forces. Among them is Abbas, a former Afghan soldier who fought alongside American and Australian troops and is now stranded in Iran, unable to return home safely and unable to secure resettlement in the West. His situation, detailed by The Guardian, illustrates a pattern affecting many former Afghan military and civilian partners who were left behind or have since been displaced. Iran has become an unwilling transit country for many such Afghans, who find themselves caught between the Taliban's rule at home and tightening U.S. immigration and refugee policies — what The Guardian describes as a 'new American war' in the immigration context. Daily Mail correspondent David Patrikarakos reported from inside Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, describing conditions of fear and repression that make return impossible for those who collaborated with foreign forces. The Taliban, which retook Kabul on August 15, 2021 after the U.S. completed its military withdrawal following a two-decade war, has been accused of targeting former Afghan National Army members and government employees despite early pledges of amnesty.

Why it matters

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans who assisted NATO forces were promised pathways to safety; five years later, many remain in legal limbo, stateless, and at risk — raising ongoing questions about Western obligations to wartime allies.

What's next

Abbas and others in similar situations continue to await resettlement decisions while advocacy groups press Western governments to honor commitments made to Afghan allies.

Key facts

• Kabul fell to the Taliban on August 15, 2021, triggering a mass evacuation and chaotic scenes at the city's airport
• Abbas, a named former Afghan soldier, fought alongside both U.S. and Australian troops before the collapse
• He is currently exiled in Iran, unable to return to Afghanistan or secure Western resettlement
• Five years have elapsed since the Taliban retook power, with no resolution for many stranded Afghan allies
• The Taliban promised amnesty to former government and military personnel but has been widely accused of violating that pledge
• Daily Mail reporting from inside Afghanistan describes ongoing repression under Taliban rule

Bias & framing notes

The Daily Mail's framing is visceral and emotionally driven, leading with graphic imagery to emphasize Taliban brutality. The Guardian takes a more structural, policy-critical angle, focusing on Western abandonment and immigration policy as the central harm. Neither source provides significant space for Taliban or U.S. government stated positions, leaving the rationale of decision-makers largely absent from both accounts.

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