Overseas Escape, Afghan President Ghani Says "I Left to Prevent Massacre"

NYT, President Gani's Trip to Uzbekistan

[Asia Economy International Department Reporter] Ashraf Ghani, the President of Afghanistan, announced on the 15th (local time) that he fled abroad to avoid bloodshed.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Ghani wrote on Facebook that "(The Islamic militant group) the Taliban clearly expressed their intention to attack (the capital) Kabul and overthrow me," and added, "I decided to leave to prevent a massacre." He said that if he had stayed in Afghanistan, countless patriots would have died and Kabul would have been destroyed.

He continued, "Now the Taliban have the responsibility for the honor and preservation of the Afghan people," acknowledging the Taliban's victory but saying, "They have not yet won the hearts of the people." He also said, "No one who relies on violence in history has been granted legitimacy," adding, "Now they (the Taliban) will face a new historical challenge, and if they do not protect Afghanistan's name and honor, they will cede priority to other forces."

It was previously reported that President Ghani fled abroad shortly after the Taliban entered Kabul that day. Some local media and foreign news outlets, citing senior government officials, reported that President Ghani headed to Tajikistan.

The New York Times (NYT), citing an anonymous Afghan government delegation official who went to Doha, Qatar for negotiations with the Taliban, reported that President Ghani boarded a plane to Uzbekistan with his wife and two aides.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.