NATO pledges to speed evacuations from Afghanistan as criticism mounts
Since the Taliban took control of Kabul, over 18,000 people have been evacuated, according to a NATO official on Friday. The official, who wished to remain anonymous, also promised to increase evacuation efforts in response to criticism of the West's handling of the situation. The airport is still crowded with people desperate to leave the country, despite the Taliban's request for those without legal travel documents to return home. The Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan caught even their own leaders off guard, leaving many areas without a governing power.0
