Greg Myre

In a surprise move, CIA Director William Burns traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan, and met the Taliban leader. This is the highest level meeting between the U.S. and the Taliban since the group took over.

CIA Director William Burns met Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar in Kabul on Monday, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.

The talks between CIA Director William Burns and Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar come as an Aug. 31 deadline looms for the end of the U.S. airlift and withdrawal of U.S. forces.

The number of Americans and Afghans being evacuated from Kabul is ramping up, hitting new one-day highs. But the situation at the Kabul airport remains extremely volatile.

Thousands of desperate Afghans and Americans still trying to catch a flight out of a country again under Taliban once again. President Biden says he aims to wrap up the airlift by the end of August.

In a scene repeated across Afghanistan, retreating government forces ditched billions of dollars' worth of U.S.-supplied military hardware, from assault rifles to Black Hawk helicopters.

The teenagers made headlines when they came to Washington in 2017 for an international competition. Today they face a uncertain future with the Taliban again in charge of their homeland.

The last time the Taliban were in power, they openly hosted al-Qaida. The group has weakened, but still exists in Afghanistan. So will the Taliban allow extremist groups to operate in the country?

In an address to the nation, President Biden defended his move to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. But the Taliban takeover presents the U.S. and the world with new national security challenges.

The militant group terrorized Afghans and was shunned by the world for its harsh rule from 1996 to 2001. The Taliban are more image conscious now but haven't changed any fundamental principles.

The departure of American forces from Afghanistan was forecast to renew violence there, but few expected the Afghan government to fall so quickly. Now the blame game has begun in Washington.

An additional 1,000 troops will be heading to Kabul to assist in evacuation efforts. This will boost the overall expected numbers to some 6,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Taliban fighters have entered Kabul after a swift country-wide offensive.

On day when things are moving and changing very quickly in Afghanistan, we turn now to NPR correspondents Jackie Northam, Franco Ordonez and Greg Myre for the latest.

The government in Kabul is shaky. Opposition forces outside the capital are closing in. That's the scene in Afghanistan today. That's also a scenario that's played out three times in recent history.

In recent days, the Taliban have captured huge chunks of territory in Afghanistan, including many of the country's largest and most important cities.

A memo obtained by NPR lays out the emergency preparations being made by American diplomats at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul — including the destruction of sensitive documents and computers.

The Afghan government is looking vulnerable. Opposition forces are on the offensive. That's Afghanistan today. It's also a scenario that's played out three times in the past three decades.

As the Taliban makes rapid gains in Afghanistan, about 3,000 troops will be sent to Kabul to aid in the evacuation of Americans from the embassy, thousands more will be deployed as backup if needed.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says he's seeking a mandate that will require all members of the U.S. military to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-September — if not sooner.