As Hamid Karzai emerged as Afghanistan’s new interim leader, the Taliban’s first regime was collapsing. But behind the scenes, the final days of Taliban rule in their Pashtun heartland, were shaped as much by negotiations as by military force.

In Part 2 of this 3 parts exclusive interview, former CIA Chief of Ground Branch Don Parnell recounts witnessing Hamid Karzai’s acceptance of the interim presidency, the secret negotiations that led to the surrender of Kandahar, and entering the city alongside Karzai as Mullah Omar slipped away. He describes establishing a base at Mullah Omar’s residence, the removal of the Taliban flag, the confusion surrounding Omar’s escape, and the remarkable scenes as Kandahar celebrated the end of Taliban rule with music, kites and a return to public life.

Parnell also reflects on Hamid Karzai’s leadership during those pivotal days, the complex tribal politics that shaped the campaign, and offers a candid assessment of why he believes the West ultimately failed in Afghanistan. Rather than attempting to build a highly centralised nation-state, he argues, the coalition underestimated the country’s tribal realities and tried to impose a model of governance that Afghanistan was never structured to sustain.

A rare first-hand account from one of the CIA officers who witnessed the collapse of the Taliban’s first regime, the birth of Afghanistan’s new government, and the decisions that would shape the next two decades of war.

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