‘Run for your life’: how papers around the world covered the chaos in Kabul
Front pages focus on the extraordinary exodus at the airport and Joe Biden’s unwavering defence of troop withdrawal
The fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has dominated news coverage around the world, with some striking front pages conveying the shocking turn of events and chaos in the capital, Kabul.
The Daily Mirror has an incredible picture of Afghans crammed into a US Globemaster transport aircraft leaving Kabul with the headline “Desperate”.
Tomorrow’s front page: DESPERATE #TomorrowPapersTodayhttps://t.co/SqRxXq5wg3 pic.twitter.com/W1tGd3FqdG
The Guardian’s splash headline says “Chaos in Kabul as thousands struggle to flee the Taliban” with a dramatic picture of crowds of Afghans running beneath a US transporter plane on the tarmac of the international airport.
Guardian front page, Tuesday 17 August 2021: Chaos in Kabul as thousands struggle to flee the Taliban pic.twitter.com/RXEWE0PLS0
It’s the same picture in the Times in London but with the headline “Race to escape Kabul carnage”.
THE TIMES:Race to escape Kabul carnage #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/kUgelU8j6C
In France, the newspaper Liberation has a picture of Afghans trying to climb the perimeter wall at the airport with the headline “Afghanistan: sauve qui peut” (“Afghanistan: run for your life”).
A la une de Liberation ce mardi :
? Afghanistan : sauve qui peut
? https://t.co/nj2k4mQp7h pic.twitter.com/41uNduTxBw
In the United States, where the inquest into how Afghanistan was allowed to fall back into the hands of Islamist militants is just beginning, Monday’s edition of the New York Times has a striking picture of Taliban fighters on an armoured vehicle in the streets of Kabul.
The front page of The New York Times for Aug. 16, 2021.
Follow updates on Afghanistan here: https://t.co/VWYNyPDfmT pic.twitter.com/UUSmINGlob
“Taliban capture Kabul, stunning US, as 20-year effort unravels in days”, the headline across the top of the page reads.
The Washington Post headline simply says “Afghanistan falls to the Taliban”.
The front page of Monday’s Washington Post: “Afghanistan falls to Taliban” pic.twitter.com/n6IaBxk8ps
The American armed forces daily paper, the Stars and Stripes, carries a picture of an American helicopter flying across the rooftops of Kabul. “It’s over”, the headline reads.
Today’s front page signals the end of the 20-year Western experiment to remake #Afghanistan.
On Sunday, the Taliban swept into Kabul after the government collapsed and the country’s embattled president joined an exodus of his fellow citizens and foreigners. pic.twitter.com/AWQo1chb6m
The Middle East English-language newspaper, Arab News, leads its Tuesday edition with “7 dead in airport mayhem as thousands flee Taliban takeover”.
President Joe Biden’s defence of his decision to withdraw American troops makes the front of some papers in the UK and elsewhere, with the headline in the Daily Telegraph reading “Biden defends America’s flight”.
The front page of tomorrow’s Daily Telegraph:
‘Biden defends America’s flight’#TomorrowsPapersToday
Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/ha407HEfeJ
The Sun carries a picture of Biden at a meeting table and the headline “Joke Biden” alongside a subhead saying “Prez ‘surprised’ by rout”.
Tomorrow’s front page: US President Joe Biden faces global backlash over his handling of Afghanistan crisis https://t.co/hLK254bxcI pic.twitter.com/GExGxj8gT5
The Daily Mail headline reads “Biden: it’s Afghans own fault”, while its columnist Richard Littlejohn says the war on terror has ended as it began with “bodies falling from the sky and America humiliated”.
Tuesday’s @DailyMailUK #MailFrontPages pic.twitter.com/u7gtGxr0XU
In Spain, El Mundo chooses a similar line from Biden’s address on Monday. “Biden: ‘Afghans don’t want to fight'”, the headline says.
? Portada de EL MUNDO del martes 17 de agosto.
Ya disponible en Orbyt y en la edicion digital con la mejor informacion. pic.twitter.com/moOlggrO06
The Daily Express in London focuses on the UK angle with “PM sends 200 extra Paras in race against time”.
Tomorrow’s front page: PM sends 200 extra Paras in race against time#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/f172BvzNND