Fear and Uncertainty Take Hold as Taliban Returns to Power

The Taliban is now firmly in control of Afghanistan and its capital city, Kabul. And overnight, life has changed.  

At a press conference Tuesday, a Taliban spokesperson said "women will be afforded all their rights,” but skepticism and worry remains high among many, particularly Afghan women and journalists.

CNN’s Clarissa Ward reported from Kabul while covered from head-to-toe. “They just told me to stand to the side because I’m a woman,” Ward said during the report.

Another anchorwoman was covered in traditional clothing to interview a Taliban leader.

Inside Edition spoke with PBS correspondent Jane Ferguson, who continues to report from Afghanistan despite the dangers.

“It’s been an absolute rollercoaster for people. And they’re still not sure how this is going to basically end. No one’s quite sure what the new normal is and whether or not the new normal will be something that they can live with,” Ferguson said. 

A U.S. military contractor shot video as he toured the abandoned NATO headquarters. 

“The American flag here is the last one, and that's only going to be there for a few more hours,” he said. “People destroying hard drives down there at the end.”

We're also learning more about the desperate plight of Afghan civilians fleeing the Taliban. A man recorded video of himself clinging to a plane as it took off. 

Another video shot inside a U.S. cargo plane showed 640 people packed on board for a flight to Qatar. The giant aircraft was designed to carry 150 troops or 170,000 pounds of equipment.

A photo of the inside of the plane showed desperate mothers, a baby drinking milk and children fleeing their homeland with only what they could carry. Journalist Marcus Weisgerber took the photo.

“There were a number of flights like this, and there actually could have quite possibly been a flight with more flights than you actually see in this picture, which is amazing,” Weisgerber said.

In Kabul, Taliban fighters were enjoying the fruits of victory: using the machines at an abandoned gym, driving bumper cars at a fairground and enjoying a carousel.

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