A photo of former Afghan Army Chief General Haybatullah Ali Zai sitting on a sidewalk in the United States has gone viral over the past two days. The image of the high-ranking military leader in a refugee camp in Virginia has sparked widespread controversy among Afghans, especially since he was appointed just one week before the Taliban took control of the capital, Kabul. At that time, he promised to win the war, painting an optimistic picture of the security situation. However, as danger approached his headquarters and government centers, he fled the country.
In the photo, Zai appears defeated, contemplating his exit from the refugee camp and possibly seeking political asylum to settle in the United States. Afghan forces rapidly collapsed in August, paving the way for the extremist group's takeover of the country, while dozens of officials fled abroad, including the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
The swift fall of security forces has raised several questions in the U.S. regarding the billions of dollars spent on training the army over nearly 20 years. Meanwhile, Taliban fighters have seized hundreds of weapons and equipment, including American planes, which were valued at millions of dollars at the time.
