August 16, 2021

The Taliban has taken hold of the country they were driven out of two decades ago. Fear is spreading in Kabul as the Taliban install themselves in the presidential palace. The Taliban have vowed that they will form an inclusive new government and that Afghans have nothing to fear. To examine these claims, Christiane speaks with Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen.

The Taliban claims women will keep their rights in Afghanistan. But many fear that the claims are false and that history will repeat itself. Fawzia Koofi, a former lawmaker, was a member of the now fallen Afghan government’s negotiating team in peace talks with the Taliban. She joins the show from an undisclosed location in Afghanistan.

President Biden is facing an avalanche of criticism at the manner of the U.S. withdrawal. Where do the failures lie -- and what were the alternatives? Chuck Hagel was secretary of defense under President Obama and joins the show to assess what went wrong.

The U.K. government is scrambling to get its nationals -- and Afghans who worked with British forces -- out of Afghanistan. With chaos breaking out at Kabul's airport, U.K. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace – himself a former soldier – admitted that “some people won’t get back.” Tom Tugendhat is a U.K. Member of Parliament, chair of the foreign affairs committee, and previously served in Afghanistan.