How Afghanistan Ended Like This

American forces are leaving Afghanistan after 20 years of fighting the country’s longest war. Following a hasty withdrawal of U.S. forces, the Taliban now controls most of the country, including the capital of Kabul. The U.S.-backed government has fled, leaving many civilians desperate to find a way out. How did things get so bad so quickly?

Guest: Fred Kaplan, Slate’s War Stories columnist. Kaplan is the author of The Bomb: Presidents, Generals, and the Secret History of Nuclear War. 

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