Leaving Without Leaving: How Lessons Learned in Somalia Might Have Prevented Afghanistan Collapse

The world watched stunned as Taliban forces swept across Afghanistan, reclaiming ground swiftly after more than two decades of U.S. nation-building efforts ended with troop withdrawals.
After 20 years, trillions of dollars and thousands of lives lost, the Taliban reclaimed control of Afghanistan just days following the withdrawal of the U.S. military. The rushed evacuations marked a frustrating end to a long American presence that raised questions about the viability of establishing stable democratic governments in countries without an established representative system.