The country s new rulers - not formally recognized by any other nation - have reimposed their harsh version of Islamic law on the impoverished country, with women squeezed out of public life.
A year after the last American soldier left Afghanistan, Safi Rauf, a former special forces linguist, accused Washington of turning its back on tens of thousands of its allies.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Wednesday that troops who served in Afghanistan during the withdrawal last year are to be given the Meritorious Unit Commendation.
The general who oversaw the U.S. exit from Afghanistan marked the anniversary of the last soldier leaving by warning that the U.S. is now less safe than when foreign troops were in the country.
Retired Gen. Frank McKenzie on Sunday laid the blame for the Taliban takeover with Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden and their mistaken decision to remove all troops from the country.