KABUL/WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The rout of Afghan forces as Taliban fighters take one provincial city after another provides a stark answer to anyone wondering about the success of two decades of U.S.-led efforts to build a local army.
Despite about $89 billion budgeted for training the Afghan army, it took the Taliban little more than a month to brush it aside. Over the last few days, the insurgents have seized every major city in Afghanistan - from Kandahar in the south to Mazar-i-Sharif in the north, Herat in the west to Jalalabad in the east. read more
They now stand almost at the gates of Kabul. read more
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani praised Afghan security and defense forces in a brief televised address on Saturday, saying they had "a strong spirit to defend their people and country."
But still, there has been shock at the lack of resistance put up by many Afghan army units. Some abandoned their posts and others reached agreements with the Taliban to stop fighting and hand over their weapons and equipment.