Taliban rapid takeover of Afghanistan as US withdraws not a surprise
The Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan uprooted the US government's assessment, which said it would take 90 days for the group to take over Kabul.
The pace of its advance surprised many observers, but some believe it was inevitable.
Prof Amalendu Misra, who teaches politics at Lancaster University and is an author of a book on Afghanistan, believes that the Taliban movement was gathering pace for a while.
"They were making inroads into smaller towns and villages. And it seems they had support from people in far-flung areas - they draw their strength from such places," he told the BBC's Vikas Pandey.
Prof Misra also adds that the rapid decline of the Afghan Army also shows that there was no will to fight and in some cases their troops even looked sympathetic to the Taliban's cause.
He also points out that US troops started ending their combat roles in 2014 and were present in the country only as advisers and trainers.
"So what's happening now would have happened anyway. A new strategy from the US was needed but clearly that option was taken off the table much earlier."
Source: BBCÂ
