Former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, in his latest interview with the European television network ARTE, discussed his departure from Afghanistan on 24 Asad 1400 (August 15, 2021), saying that he does not regret leaving the country and believes that remaining could have had other consequences for him.
Ghani said that if he had stayed in Afghanistan, he could have been arrested and tortured and ultimately pressured into declaring that the Taliban’s rise to power was legitimate. He added that, under those circumstances, he did not know what fate awaited him.
Speaking about the final moments of his presence at the presidential palace, Ghani said he had only two minutes to leave the compound. According to him, he was informed at the time that the presidential compound had been surrounded.
He said that when he left the palace, he took only the clothes he was wearing and that, after boarding the helicopter, he did not know where it was headed. Ghani added that his wife, several National Security Council staff members, and a number of presidential palace employees were also on board.
Ghani emphasized that he does not regret his decision to leave Afghanistan. He said he did not want the Afghan republic to end in circumstances where, with a gun pointed at his head, his surrender would be recorded as the conclusion of the republic.
In the interview, he said his objective in leaving Afghanistan was to remain a “living witness to history” and to be able to recount firsthand the consequences of decisions made by the United States and NATO regarding Afghanistan. He said he did not want others to speak on his behalf about what had happened during those days.
The former Afghan president also discussed the events of the day Kabul fell, saying that he initially intended to go to the Ministry of Defense. According to him, the defense minister contacted him and informed him that the Taliban had seized two prisons north and south of Kabul.
Ghani said that security forces subsequently went to the Ministry of Defense, only to find that the building was empty. He said that by then, “the chain of command had collapsed” and the security situation was rapidly slipping out of control.
He also said it later became clear that two groups had been tasked by the Taliban with assassinating him. According to Ghani, the national security adviser also informed him that the presidential compound was under siege.
Ghani said that after receiving the warning, he had only two minutes to make a decision. He eventually boarded a helicopter and left Kabul, while still unaware of their destination until the aircraft took off.
In the documentary, Ashraf Ghani also sought to present his account of the collapse of the republic and his departure from Afghanistan, saying that his decision to leave the country was intended to prevent what he regarded as a forced surrender.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
