The Last Days of the Afghan Republic: A Doomed Evacuation Twenty Years in the Making

Drawing on interviews with Afghans who thrived under the 20-year U.S. occupation of Afghanistan, Bennington College anthropologist Coburn (Losing Afghanistan) and Noori (the pseudonym of a young Afghan social researcher) present a vivid portrait of life under the occupation, as well as the turmoil caused by the 2021 withdrawal. Though running was considered inappropriate for a woman, Zeinab was able to pursue her passion for triathlon competitions thanks to American NGOs like Free to Run, which also hired her to organize events. Najeeb, an employee of a local company hired by the U.S. Department of Defense, worked as a translator. When the U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed on Aug. 15, 2021, Zeinab, Najeeb, and others who associated with “internationals”—Americans and other Westerners—feared for their safety and the loss of their freedoms. Many fled the country, attempting to emigrate with their families to the West, but ending up scattered around the world and separated from their loved ones. The authors provide both a sweeping history of the Afghan republic and a close-up look at the individuals who were served and then betrayed by it. This is an intimate and moving study of the broken lives left in the wake of U.S. military intervention. (July)