Afghanistan

On the day a U.S. drone strike killed the leader of al-Qaida in Afghanistan, NPR sat down for an interview with the man in charge of the country's defense.

Among the critics of the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan is US Rep. Michael Waltz, a Republican representing Florida’s 6th Congressional District, and a former Green Beret who served in Afghanistan.

Despite the deadly attack, President Biden pledged that the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan will continue.

President Biden on Friday redoubled his vow to oversee the safe removal of all Americans from Afghanistan and said he was committed to trying to evacuate Afghans who assisted the U.S.

Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service estimates only about 1,200 Afghans have been resettled in the country since last weekend. There are at least 80,000 more asylum seekers left in the country.

U.S. Rep. Mike Waltz, who represents parts of Volusia County, is a former Green Beret who completed several tours in Afghanistan.

Speaking about the Taliban's ousting of the U.S.-backed Afghan government, Biden acknowledged, "The truth is this did unfold more quickly than we anticipated."

The beleaguered nation is seeing a surge. The lack of testing means it's difficult to know the extent. One doctor says his Facebook feed is 30% to 40% of notices about those who died of the virus.

Al-Qaida is degraded but not defeated. Analyst Colin Clarke assesses where the U.S. may be mapping out its future counterterrorism presence after withdrawing from Afghanistan.

The president said he will move to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan after nearly 20 years of an active U.S. military presence in the country.