Middle East

Final U.S. Embassy Cable From Kabul Hints At Afghan President's Escape

President Ghani fled the country on Sunday, just hours before Taliban fighters entered the Presidential Palace and solidified its control of Kabul.

Final U.S. Embassy Cable From Kabul Hints At Afghan President's Escape
Rahmat Gul / AP
SMS

The last cable that came from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday gives us some insight into what they were thinking and essentially there was a lot more going on than they were making the public aware of.

The five-page, sensitive but unclassified document shows that the U.S. was aware of the possibility that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani would leave the country a day before the Taliban would enter Kabul.

The document said, "Post contacts close to key power brokers... said the [Ghani] address could foreshadow Ghani's resignation and the announcement of a transitional government."

Ghani's comments, according to the translation of this document, said "I've always worked for building Afghanistan. I will continue my efforts."