PHOTOS: Taliban take over Afghanistan government

A Taliban member organizes traffic in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 15, 2021. (Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times)

Taliban fighters drive into Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 15, 2021. (Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times)

Afghans and travelers pass through checkpoints at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan ahead of the TalibanÕs arrival, Aug. 15, 2021. (Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times)

The perimeter of the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 15, 2021. (Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times)

People greet Taliban fighters arriving in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 15, 2021. (Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times)

1 / 5

A Taliban member organizes traffic in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 15, 2021. On Sunday, American C-17 transport planes bringing in Marines — some 200 per load — landed at Hamid Karzai International Airport, then quickly filled with embassy staffers and returned to the skies. Urgent texts and emails from Americans stranded in Kabul flooded inboxes in Washington. (Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times)