ASHRAF GHANI

The largely inconclusive report found it unlikely that former president Ashraf Ghani had taken huge amounts of money but did say that tens of millions were looted.

An inspector general report found that contrary to allegations, former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani did not abscond with millions of dollars that went missing during the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

U.S. intelligence agencies have begun a review of how they judge the will and ability of foreign governments to fight.

Paranoia riddled the most senior levels of the Afghan government, and chaos overwhelmed the country’s security forces, according to a U.S. government watchdog report

Until last summer, Khalid Payenda was Afghanistan’s finance minister, overseeing a $6 billion budget.

Afghanistan’s former president has called a White House order to unfreeze $3.5 billion in Afghan assets held in the U.S. for families of 9/11 victims an atrocity against the Afghan people.

Biden officials informed Afghan embassy staff to "register" their interest in relocating to the US, only hours before the Taliban took over.

The United Nations secretary-general says the world body has received “credible allegations” that more than 100 former members of the Afghan government, its security forces and those who worked with international troops have been killed since the Taliban takeover of the country on Aug. 15.

A year-old report by Washington's Afghanistan watchdog has now been declassified and shows that it warned back in early 2021 that the Afghan air force would collapse without critical U.S. aid and training.

Ashraf Ghani's sudden and secret departure left the city rudderless as U.S. and NATO forces were in the final stages of their chaotic withdrawal.

Afghanistan Ghani FILE - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is seated after his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, June 25, 2021. Former President Ashraf Ghani said in a BBC interview that aired Thursday that an adviser gave him just minutes to decide to abandon the capital, Kabul. Still, the Taliban takeover was met with widespread fear and a deep longing by many to flee their desperately poor homeland despite billions of international money over the 20 years the U.S.-backed governments had been in power. In the BBC interview, Ghani denied widespread accusations that he left Afghanistan with a cache of stolen money. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko was named the most corrupt, with Ghani, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz among the finalists for the title of most corrupt.

Afghanistan Ghani FILE - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is seated after his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, June 25, 2021. Former President Ashraf Ghani said in a BBC interview that aired Thursday that an adviser gave him just minutes to decide to abandon the capital city. Ghani in his interview denied widespread accusations that he left Afghanistan with a cache of stolen money. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko was named the most corrupt with Ghani, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz among the finalists for the title of most corrupt. That agreement laid out conditions for the final withdrawal of the remaining U.S. and NATO forces ending America's longest war.

Afghanistan's former president says he had just minutes to decide to flee in the hours before the Taliban took control of the capital in August.

For Afghanistan, 2021 was punctuated by the chaos of a U.S. withdrawal and an uncertain next chapter.

The following is a transcript of an interview with Hamdullah Mohib, national security adviser under former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, that aired Sunday, December 19, 2021, on "Face the Nation."

NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins, Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, and more appear this Sunday on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan"

The Taliban didn't take the Afghan capital — they were invited, says the man who issued the invitation. In an Associated Press interview, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai offered some of the first insights into the secret and sudden departure of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani — and how he came to invite the Taliban into the city “to protect the population so that the country, the city doesn’t fall into chaos and the unwanted elements who would probably loot the country, loot shops.” Defense minister Bismillah Khan even asked Karzai if he wanted to leave Kabul when Karzai contacted him to know what remnants of the government still remained. Karzai, who was the country's president for 13 years after the Taliban were first ousted in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, refused to leave.

A top Taliban leader says Afghanistan’s new rulers are committed in principle to education and jobs for girls and women and have learned lessons from their previous time in power.

The U.N. humanitarian chief is warning that Afghanistan’s economic collapse “is happening before our eyes” and urged the international community to take action to stop the freefall before it leads to more deaths.

Afghanistan's pavilion has finally arrived at the first world's fair in the Middle East, a week after Dubai's Expo opened without it.

Dubai has gambled billions to make the gleaming, built-from-scratch Expo village a triumphant tourist attraction and symbol of the United Arab Emirates itself.

It was clear that the Taliban was coming back into power in one form or another.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley are scheduled to appear before the House Armed Services Committee to review the war in Afghanistan.

Female Afghan health workers, teachers and rights defenders are urging the international community to resume financial aid to Afghanistan, saying non-payment has disproportionally impacted women.

The dispute between Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers and its former government over who should speak at the U.N.’s annual meeting of world leaders is over: Nobody is going to deliver an address.

The dispute between Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers and its former government over who should speak at the U.N.’s annual meeting of world leaders is over.

The Taliban's newly appointed envoy to the United Nations is urging quick world recognition of the Taliban government and Afghanistan's new rulers even as the World Health Organization raised the alarm warning of an impending humanitarian disaster in the war-wracked country.

The United Nations says the Taliban, Afghanistan’s new rulers since last month, have challenged the credentials of Afghanistan’s former U.N. ambassador and are asking to speak at the U.N. General Assembly’s high-level meeting of world leaders that began Tuesday.

The United Nations says the Taliban, Afghanistan’s new rulers since last month, have challenged the credentials of Afghanistan’s former U.N. ambassador and are asking to speak at the U.N. General Assembly’s high-level meeting of world leaders that began Tuesday.

Sept 11 What Of Afghanistan FILE - In this Aug. 15, 2021 file photo, Taliban fighters take control of Afghan presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. In a further sign that the hard-liners had prevailed, the white Taliban flag was raised over the presidential palace, replacing the Afghan national flag. On Tuesday, the Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Mutaqi, dismissed such reports as “propaganda.”Baradar had been noticeably absent from key functions. Another Taliban figure said Baradar was visiting family he had not seen in 20 years of war. Analysts say the friction may not amount to a serious threat to the Taliban — for now.

Sept 11 What Of Afghanistan FILE - In this Aug. 15, 2021 file photo, Taliban fighters take control of Afghan presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. In a further sign that the hard-liners had prevailed, the white Taliban flag was raised over the presidential palace, replacing the Afghan national flag. On Tuesday, the Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Mutaqi, dismissed such reports as “propaganda.”Despite the denials, Baradar has been noticeably absent from key functions. He was not at the presidential palace earlier this week to receive the deputy prime minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdur Rahman Al-Thani, who is also foreign minister. Analysts say the friction may not amount to a serious threat to the Taliban — for now.

The friction between pragmatists and ideologues in the Taliban leadership has intensified since the group formed a hard-line Cabinet last week that is more in line with their harsh rule in the 1990s than their recent promises of inclusiveness.

The fistfight between two factions inside the Taliban leadership took place inside the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul, the BBC reported.

A small flag shop, tucked away in the courtyard of a Kabul market, has documented Afghanistan’s turbulent history over the decades with its ever-changing merchandise.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers, veterans groups and other American organizations and individuals have been pressing the Biden administration to do more to get out those vulnerable Afghans. They include thousands of Afghans who used to work with the U.S. military, and are eligible for what are known as Special Immigrant Visas. James Miervaldis, a spokesman with a veterans group, No One Left Behind working on behalf of those Afghans, called the news, “Awesome. ___ISLAMABAD — Pakistan says Qatar’s foreign minister will arrive in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad to discuss the latest situation in Afghanistan. In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Qatari chief diplomat Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani during his day-long visit Thursday will meet with Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other top officials.

Two hundred foreigners in Afghanistan, Americans among them, are set to depart on charter flights from Kabul on Thursday after the new Taliban government agreed to their evacuation, a U.S. official said.

The large group of foreigners would depart Thursday on a Qatar Airways flight that had earlier ferried humanitarian aid to the country, said Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani, a Qatari special envoy. Al-Qahtani said it was the first international commercial flight from Kabul airport since American forces left at the end of August, their departure accompanied by a frantic airlift of tens of thousands of foreign citizens and Afghans fleeing the Taliban. ___ISLAMABAD — Pakistan says Qatar’s foreign minister will arrive in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad to discuss the latest situation in Afghanistan. In a statement, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Qatari chief diplomat Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani during his day-long visit Thursday will meet with Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other top officials. Washington blamed Ghani’s flight and the government’s collapse for a Taliban takeover ahead of a negotiated deal.

The United States is using the military base in Ramstein, Palatinate, as a hub for the evacuation of shelter seekers and local forces from Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (Markus Schreiber)KABUL, Afghanistan — Two Qatari officials say they expect 100 to 150 Americans to fly out from Kabul’s airport in the coming hours. If confirmed, this would mark the first large-scale evacuation of Americans from Afghanistan since the last U.S. forces left the country at the end of August. The officials say the Americans would leave later Thursday on a Qatari flight that had delivered humanitarian aid to Afghanistan earlier Thursday. He said the United States is prepared to prevent an al-Qaida comeback in Afghanistan that would threaten the United States.

Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan on August 15, reportedly without even notifying some of his aides, fearing execution from the Taliban.

The former president apologized 'to the Afghan people' and denied taking millions of dollars in cash with him as he fled Afghanistan.

The United States is using the military base in Ramstein, Palatinate, as a hub for the evacuation of shelter seekers and local forces from Afghanistan. He said the United States is prepared to prevent an al-Qaida comeback in Afghanistan that would threaten the United States. The Taliban had provided al-Qaida with sanctuary while it ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. The U.S. invaded and overthrew the Taliban after it refused to turn over al-Qaida leaders following the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the United States. Prominent Afghan political figures who stayed behind say they had expected to meet with Taliban political leaders the following day to continue negotiations.

The United States is using the military base in Ramstein, Palatinate, as a hub for the evacuation of shelter seekers and local forces from Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) (Markus Schreiber)ISLAMABAD — Pakistan says Qatar’s foreign minister will arrive in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad to discuss the latest situation in Afghanistan. In a statement, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said Qatari chief diplomat Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani during his day-long visit Thursday will meet with Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other top officials. The development comes two days after the Taliban announced an interim government for Afghanistan. Prominent Afghan political figures who stayed behind say they had expected to meet with Taliban political leaders the following day to continue negotiations.

The United Nations development agency says Afghanistan is teetering on the brink of “universal poverty” which could become a reality in the middle of next year unless urgent efforts are made to bolster local communities and their economies.

Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani issued a statement Wednesday apologizing to Afghans for fleeing Kabul on the day the Taliban entered the capital city, calling it "the most difficult decision" of his life.Why it matters: Ghani's decision to flee Kabul and seek asylum in the United Arab Emirates on Aug. 15 precipitated the collapse of the Afghan government. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeIn a White House address the day afte

The interior ministry of the new Taliban government is seeking to end protests in Afghanistan after days of demonstrations that have brought heavy-handed assaults on protesters.

Officials say at least four planes chartered to evacuate several hundred people seeking to escape the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan have been unable to leave the country for days.

After twenty years, it hardly needs saying that America’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were disastrous to U.S. interests and standing.

Ali Nazary, a spokesman for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, denies that the last holdout against the Taliban has fallen, calling such reports part of the "Taliban propaganda machine."

Leaders are in talks to form an Islamic government while fighters attack final pockets of resistance.

The White House refused to draw further attention to reports President Joe Biden and ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani were unprepared for Afghanistan's quick collapse and that Biden had encouraged his counterpart in Kabul, Afghanistan, to fix his "perception" problem by selling a military strategy with local political heavyweights.

Repeatedly in recent days, Republicans and their allies have used thinly sourced, false and misleading information to exaggerate the situation.

Plus, it decreases risks of death by heart disease and stroke.

Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers face tough economic and security challenges as they return to power in a country that is vastly different from the one they left 20 years ago.

President Joe Biden is defending the way the U.S. ended its 20-year “forever war” in Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden still faces daunting challenges born of the hasty end of the Afghanistan war.

After two decades, the United States has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war and closing a sad chapter in military history.

On the eve of the final U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, some Kabul residents seemed more anxious about economic collapse than with the Taliban imposing their harsh version of Islam.

Fawad Andarabi, a famous Afghan folk singer, was reportedly dragged from his village home and shot by the Taliban on Saturday, according to reports.

The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan is giving radical Islamic groups from Syria and the Gaza Strip to Pakistan and West Africa reason to celebrate.

The international community will likely have to confront three issues as the Taliban's takeover reverberates across the globe, experts told CNBC.

Afghan vet Chris McClananthan is trying to get his interpreter out of Kabul after the city fell in to the Taliban's hands.

A firefight outside Kabul’s international airport has killed an Afghan soldier.

"We had received intelligence for over a year that the President would be killed in the event of a takeover," a former senior official to Ghani said.

The Kremlin sees the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan as a chance to increase its power in the region. But as Russia's own history shows, that carries risks.

President Joe Biden is pledging firmly to bring all Americans home from Afghanistan — and all Afghans who aided the war effort, too.

(Photo by AFP via Getty Images/AFP via Getty Images)President Joe Biden on Friday will speak about the situation in Afghanistan following days of chaos for thousands as they try to flee the Taliban. >> Read more trending newsBiden is expected to discuss the withdrawal of American troops and the efforts to get out of the country Afghan citizens who helped American forces over the years. Biden has come under sharp criticism since the collapse of the government led to continued chaotic scenes at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. “If there’s American citizens left, we’re going to stay until we get them all out,” Biden said. In the ABC interview, Biden said the chaos at and around the airport was inevitable.

Afghanistan Gulf Hosting Fugitives FILE - In this June 25, 2021 file photo, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is seated after his meeting with President Joe Biden in Washington. Both have close security partnerships with the United States and both have taken in political fugitives and exiled leaders on the run. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) (Alex Brandon)DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — (AP) — Afghanistan’s president, driven out by the Taliban, is the latest leader on the run to turn up in the United Arab Emirates. The two Gulf Arab states have close security partnerships with the United States and both have taken in political fugitives and exiled leaders on the run. From his new base in the UAE, Ghani released a video statement Wednesday, for the first time since escaping Kabul.

Afghanistan’s president, driven out by the Taliban, is the latest leader on the run to turn up in the United Arab Emirates.

Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani denied rumors he avoided a peaceful transition with the Taliban.

Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani denied rumors he avoided a peaceful transition with the Taliban.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief has called the fall of Afghanistan’s capital and the resurgence of the Taliban “a catastrophe” and “nightmare” that laid bare a failure of intelligence and trans-Atlantic cooperation.

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The warnings were clear: The Afghan government would likely fall once U.S. troops pulled out. Biden on Wednesday blamed Ghani for fleeing the country and Afghan forces for surrendering so easily to the Taliban. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, insisted Wednesday that he had no indication of the speed of the Afghan collapse. One senior intelligence official said agencies did identify the risk of a rapid collapse of the Afghan government and grew “more pessimistic” during the last several months of the Afghan fighting season. Many have blamed an intelligence failure for failing to anticipate the speed with which the Afghan government would collapse.

The warnings were clear: The Afghan government would likely fall once U.S. troops pulled out.

Afghanistan Doha Trap FILE - In this Feb. 29, 2020, file photo, U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, left, and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban group's top political leader shack hands after signing a peace agreement between Taliban and U.S. officials in Doha, Qatar. The argument that President Donald Trump's February 2020 deal with the Taliban set the stage for the weekend chaos that unfolded in Kabul has some merit. It had an escape clause: The U.S. could have withdrawn from the accord if Afghan peace talks failed. He had plenty of opportunity to do that if he so desired,” Miller, a top Pentagon counterterrorism official at the time the Doha deal was signed, said in an interview. He said the Doha deal was always supposed to be “phase one” of the process, with the next part being the U.S. using its leverage to have Ghani negotiate on a power-sharing deal with the Taliban.

President Joe Biden and his national security team say the Trump administration tied their hands when it came to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

He thanked Afghan security forces in his message, but also said that the “failure of the peace process” led to the Taliban snatching power. It added that Turkmen officials have regular contacts with the Taliban regarding security along the Afghan-Turkmenistan border. “Afghan women and girls, as all Afghan people, deserve to live in safety, security and dignity,” it said. ___PRAGUE — The third Czech evacuation flight in three days has left the Afghan capital of Kabul and is heading for Prague. A government official, Michal Dworczyk, said 250-260 people have expressed a wish to be evacuated, but that not all of them might be able to reach the Kabul airport to leave.

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The warnings were clear: The Afghan government would likely fall once U.S. troops pulled out. Biden on Wednesday blamed Ghani for fleeing the country and Afghan forces for surrendering so easily to the Taliban. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, insisted Wednesday that he had no indication of the speed of the Afghan collapse. One senior intelligence official said agencies did identify the risk of a rapid collapse of the Afghan government and grew “more pessimistic” during the last several months of the Afghan fighting season. Many have blamed an intelligence failure for failing to anticipate the speed with which the Afghan government would collapse.

APTOPIX Germany Afghanistan People sit in a German Bundeswehr airplane at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, as the federal armed forces evacuates German citizens and local Afghans who worked for Germany. “Personnel will return to Afghanistan as conditions permit.”In addition to the international staff, the U.N. and its agencies have about 3,000 Afghan employees. He thanked Afghan security forces in his message, but also said that the “failure of the peace process” led to the Taliban snatching power. All three missions have been operating “as usual” after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on Sunday. Anze Logar said on Wednesday that for the time being, Slovenia will not offer taking in additional refugees from Afghanistan.

APTOPIX Germany Afghanistan People sit in a German Bundeswehr airplane at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, as the federal armed forces evacuates German citizens and local Afghans who worked for Germany. Germany’s foreign minister said his country’s ambassador in Kabul has begun talks in Doha with Taliban representatives to ensure they allow Afghans to reach the airport. ___ROME — An Italian Air Force jet has ferried 86 passengers to Rome’s main airport from Kabul. Giarrizzo said Kabul airport security conditions were currently OK but stressed that they are “very fluid.” U.S., British and Turkish military forces were helping to keep the airport entrance more orderly, he added. A government official, Michal Dworczyk, said 250-260 people have expressed a wish to be evacuated, but that not all of them might be able to reach the Kabul airport to leave.

Ghani posted a video on his Facebok page late on Wednesday, confirming that he was in the United Arab Emirates. He thanked Afghan security forces in his message, but also said that the “failure of the peace process” led to the Taliban snatching power. Ghani left Afghanistan on Sunday just as the Taliban approached Kabul. A government official, Michal Dworczyk, said 250-260 people have expressed a wish to be evacuated, but that not all of them might be able to reach the Kabul airport to leave. ___ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan is issuing visas upon arrival to all diplomats, foreigners and journalists who want to leave Kabul over security concerns.

"I left with one shirt, one pants, one vest and one sandals," Ghani said, denying reports that he allegedly left with a large sum of money.

The UAE says it has welcomed the president and his family on humanitarian grounds.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani reportedly fled Kabul with $169 million in cash

The whereabouts of former president Ashraf Ghani were unknown for days after he fled Kabul, leaving his nation in the hands of the Taliban.

As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, thousands of Afghans looked for ways to escape what they see as a return of a ruthless fundamentalist rule.

The United Nations says it’s sending about a third of its 300 international staff in Afghanistan to Kazakhstan, to work remotely on a temporary basis in light of “the volatile situation in the country.”.

The Taliban have vowed to respect women’s rights, forgive those who fought them and ensure Afghanistan does not become a haven for terrorists.

President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan says the Taliban have agreed to allow safe passage for civilians trying to leave Afghanistan.

The Russian embassy in Kabul has alleged that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled from Kabul with four cars and a helicopter stuffed with cash.

A young Afghan woman stands between two worlds at Kabul's airport, engulfed in panic as thousands of Afghans scramble desperate to get out following the Taliban takeover of the country.

The Taliban have seized power in Afghanistan two weeks before the U.S. is set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war.

At least seven people are dead after the main airport in the Afghan capital descended into chaos.

America’s top general says the United States could now face a rise in terrorist threats from a Taliban-run Afghanistan.

The Taliban have captured a large, heavily defended city in northern Afghanistan in a major setback for the government.

The last-minute decision to send 3,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan to help partially evacuate the U.S. Embassy is calling into question whether President Joe Biden can meet his deadline for fully withdrawing by the end of the month.

The Taliban have captured two major Afghan cities, the country’s second- and third-largest after Kabul, and a strategic provincial capital.

Officials says the Taliban seized three more Afghan provincial capitals and a local army headquarters.

Sweeping Taliban conquests in Afghanistan are challenging the Biden administration’s hopes that a desire for international legitimacy will moderate the Taliban's worst behavior.

The Taliban are pressing ahead with their advances in southern Afghanistan and have captured nine out of 10 districts of the Helmand provincial capital.

The U.N. says in a new report that more women and children were killed and wounded in Afghanistan in the first half of 2021 than in any year since the United Nations began keeping count in 2009.