AFGHAN ANNIVERSARY: Afghanistan Timeline (Visual Explainer) -- WEB
Metadata
- AFGHAN ANNIVERSARY: Afghanistan Timeline (Visual Explainer) -- WEB
- August 11, 2022
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script AFGHAN ANNIVERSARY: Afghanistan Timeline (Visual Explainer) HEADLINE: Afghanistan Timeline August 15, 2021, to August 15, 2022 TEASER: PUBLISHED: 8/xx/2022 BYLINE: Deepak Dobhal CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: VIDEOGRAPHER: PRODUCER: Aziz Ahmed SCRIPT EDITORS: caw, Sharon Shahid, SR VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA original | Urdu Service PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __ TRT: 5:27 VID APPROVED BY: KE TYPE: EDITOR NOTES: Send edited copy to Ayesha, Sirwan, Deepak. Please Hold for Release)) ((EDS: Hold for Release within a window from 8/10-8/20)) [[NOTE: AFGHAN ANNIVERSARY SERIES: This visual explainer is part of a special VOA series marking the one-year anniversary of the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. The series includes eyewitness accounts of the day Kabul fell, stories of Afghan refugees around the world, and data-based analysis of the Taliban's record of governance and human rights, among other topics.]] ((NARRATOR)) ((Onscreen text: August 15, 2021 — Ashraf Ghani flees the country)) On August 15, 2021, President Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan. The government collapsed, ((Onscreen text: August 15, 2021 — The Taliban take control of Kabul)) and the Taliban took control of Kabul — the same group the U.S.-led coalition ousted in 2001. The speed of the Taliban’s victory shocked the world and threw U.S. evacuation plans into disarray. ((U.S. President Joe Biden)) “This did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated.” ((NARRATOR)) ((Onscreen text: August 17, 2021 — Afghans rush to the airport)) Thousands of desperate Afghans raced to the airport, with chaos erupting as they tried to flee the country. ((Onscreen text: August 17, 2021 — Taliban try to portray a reformed image)) On August 17, the new leaders tried to present a face different from the last time they were in power from 1996 to 2001. They promised Afghanistan would not be used to attack other countries, as it had been in September 2001, and vowed to protect women's rights to work and study under the framework of Islam. ((Onscreen text: August 26, 2021 — Around 170 civilians and 13 U.S. troops killed)) On August 26, an attack by Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) outside the airport killed 170 civilians and 13 U.S. security personnel. ((Onscreen text: August 31, 2021— Last U.S. forces leave Afghanistan)) On August 31, the last U.S. forces left Afghanistan, bringing an end to a 20-year war. ((Onscreen text: Total cost of the war was more than $2 trillion)) The United States spent more than $2 trillion and lost more than 6,000 service members and contractors. Thousands of people who assisted the U.S. over the years remained trapped inside Afghanistan. Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised that Washington would work to evacuate them. ((U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken)) “We work intensely to evacuate and relocate Afghans. … We’ve gotten many out.” ((Onscreen text: Women protest for equal rights)) In the first weeks of Taliban rule, many Afghan women protested, demanding equal rights. ((Onscreen text: September 7, 2021 — Taliban announce caretaker government)) On September 7, the Taliban announced a new caretaker government. Mohammad Hasan Akhund, who is on a U.N. sanctions list, was chosen to head the government. Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is on the FBI's Most Wanted list, was named the interior minister. There was no mention of the Women's Ministry, a department responsible for women's rights and advancement before the new Taliban rule. With the exit of the international community, humanitarian aid dried up, and Afghanistan's food crisis worsened. Combined with the U.S. freeze on the Afghan central bank's assets worth $9.5 billion, the Afghan economy plunged into free-fall. ((Onscreen text: September 13, 2021 — Poverty and hunger widespread in the country)) On September 13, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said poverty and hunger were spiraling out of control in Afghanistan and appealed to the world for help. ((Onscreen text: September 24, 2021 — Allowing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan)) On September 24, the U.S. paved the way for sending aid to Afghanistan by allowing limited engagement with the Taliban. ((Onscreen text: December 26, 2021 — Women cannot travel alone)) Despite promises to protect women's rights, on December 26, the Taliban banned women from traveling alone for more than 72 kilometers without a male companion. ((Onscreen text: March 23, 2022 — Girls’ high schools to remain closed)) On March 23, 2022, the Taliban said girls' high schools would remain closed until they could be opened in accordance with Islamic law. ((Onscreen text: May 7, 2022 – Taliban order women to cover up head to toe in public)) On May 7, the Taliban ordered women to cover themselves from head to toe. ((Onscreen text: May 19, 2022 — Female TV anchors ordered to wear face covers)) On May 19, the Taliban ordered female TV presenters to cover their faces. ((Onscreen text: June 22, 2022 — An earthquake hits Afghanistan, killing more than 1,000)) On June 22, a major earthquake killed more than 1,000 people in the country’s southeast. ((Onscreen text: July 20, 2022 – U.N.: 60% of population need humanitarian assistance)) On July 20, a U.N. report estimated that about 60% of Afghanistan's population needed humanitarian assistance. ((Onscreen text: July 20, 2022 — U.N. accuses the Taliban of human rights abuses)) The report also accused the new government of human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings, torture and illegal detentions. It found the most notable aspect of Taliban rule was the erosion of women’s rights. By mid-2022, some 79,000 Afghan refugees have been settled in the U.S. since the Taliban returned to power. Thousands more wait outside the U.S. for their paperwork to be processed. On the morning of July 31, Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaida’s top leader, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul. One year into their rule, no country has formally recognized the Taliban government.
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date August 11, 2022 16:51 EDT
- Byline Deepak Dobhal
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English