The New Kabul

The streets are silent. Women and schoolgirls are completely covered, if they are seen at all. Food is scarce for many. But it was not always like this in Bushra Seddique’s home. Before she fled Afghanistan, before the Taliban returned just over a year ago, Seddique had days and nights in cafés with friends, a job as a journalist, and a full life in bustling Kabul.

Seddique’s escape from Afghanistan happened as abruptly as the United States’ withdrawal from her country. Her mother, father, and a sister stayed behind. Her story is a reminder of all that came undone when the United States chaotically left Afghanistan after 20 long years there.

Seddique continues to question why and how it all went down like this. She is not the only one. David Petraeus, who oversaw the U.S. military command in Afghanistan, also argues that America’s involvement in Afghanistan should not have ended this way.

In this week’s episode of Radio Atlantic, Seddique talks about the moment her world changed forever, and The Atlantic’s editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, interviews Petraeus about what America owes the people of Kabul.

Listen to that conversation and Seddique’s story here:

What follows is a transcript of the episode, edited and condensed for clarity:

Bushra Seddique: Well, I’m trying to explain to everyone, trying to tell them by my words, a picture of how the life back in Afghanistan was. But I can’t find the right words. When I’m saying it was normal, everyone asks me how normal it was back before the Taliban. It was the regular life that everyone has. I mean—we had a home, we had a job, we had friends, we had plans. We know we had a future.

Claudine Ebeid: Bushra Seddique is an editorial fellow at The Atlantic, and I’m Claudine Ebeid, executive producer of audio. In this episode of Radio Atlantic, Seddique gives us a glimpse into her normal life in Afghanistan and how that all changed in an instant.

Seddique: My friends were a really good part and big part of my life, because I spent most of my free time with my friends. We were, all the time, shopping. It’s super crowded. And I imagine those moments walking. And sometimes I remember all the cute smiles of all the people, shopkeepers, and smile. Energy. And everything was like—you can notice those things in everyone’s face in that time.

We were spending our time in a lot of good places. Going to the office. Everyone was trying to do something for