United States finally leaves Afghanistan after 13-years

#Afghanistan #Taliban #Kabul #expats As per the agreement with Afghanistan authorities, the US and its allies would be officially ending their 13-year war on December 31. But, Afghanistan appears to be in the grip of worsening violence and the remaining foreign workers have retreated further inside fortified compounds.
The life of people will not be the same anymore because, as an expat restaurant manager has confided - he once had 28 employees on his rolls, today he has only eight. He is married to an Afghan and he will stay on in Afghanistan.
The scene is the same everywhere. The US-led war in Afghanistan had brought in plenty of international aid workers, diplomats and security contractors and, as a result, a frenetic social scene was created in Kabul - that is now a distant memory because a number of Taliban attacks on expat hang-outs shattered any illusions that foreign civilians were safe in the city.
The places are still open but, on view are bored waiters and empty tables. The tennis club is also deserted, the pool-side French restaurant is closed and picnic trips no longer happen.
The atmosphere in Kabul is much subdued. The number of expats have dwindled as compared to 2008and 2010. Those who remain are always in fear of their lives because last January there was a Taliban attack on the popular Taverna du Liban restaurant. A total of 21 people were killed, including 13 foreigners.