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9. The power couple

An eyewitness account from the presidential palace as the Taliban encircle Kabul and the president himself flees Afghanistan.

An eyewitness account from the presidential palace as the Taliban encircle Kabul.

He was the president鈥檚 chief of staff, she was the ambassador in Washington. Both were appointed by President Ghani: Matin Bek, the son of a warlord, and Adela Raz, the daughter of an intellectual. They were Afghanistan鈥檚 ultimate power couple. Matin was in the presidential palace the day the capital fell to the Taliban. He describes the moment he realised, uncomprehending, that the president had fled. The palace, he says, was 鈥渢he safest place in Afghanistan鈥 that day. Adela, in Washington, had just woken up when she realised that something was terribly wrong. 鈥淕et out now,鈥 she told her husband. Matin鈥檚 assessment looking back on the past few years: 鈥淭he government failed and I was part of it.鈥

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27 minutes

Last on

Sat 30 Oct 2021 01:32GMT

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  • Wed 27 Oct 2021 03:32GMT
  • Wed 27 Oct 2021 04:32GMT
  • Wed 27 Oct 2021 10:32GMT
  • Wed 27 Oct 2021 21:32GMT
  • Wed 27 Oct 2021 22:32GMT
  • Sat 30 Oct 2021 01:32GMT

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