Afghan Central Bank chief flees Kabul

The head of Afghanistan’s central bank has fled Kabul, questioned the loyalty of Afghan security forces and blamed President Ashraf Ghani and his inexperienced advisors for the country’s swift and chaotic fall to the Taliban. In a Twitter thread, detailing how he worked at the bank until militants were at the gates of the city, Acting Governor Ajmal Ahmady also said that U.S. dollar supplies were dwindling and described escaping the capital on a military flight. He said that on Sunday he began work. Reports throughout morning were increasingly worrisome and he left the bank and left deputies in charge. Felt terrible about leaving staff. It did not have to end this way and he is disgusted by the lack of any planning by Afghan leadership. Saw at airport them leave without informing others.

Ghani fled Afghanistan on Sunday as Taliban militants entered Kabul virtually unopposed. Ahmady said that it seems difficult to believe, but there remains a suspicion as to why Afghan National Security Forces left posts so quickly. This is by referring to claims by some pro-government militia leaders of that the army’s capitulation in northern Afghanistan was the result of a conspiracy. As the Taliban advanced, Ahmady said Afghanistan’s currency markets were in a panic. He also held meetings to reassure banks and money exchangers to calm them down. He can’t believe that was one day before Kabul fell.

Ahmady said he boarded a military aircraft amid chaos on the tarmac after a commercial flight he booked was swamped with passengers. It was unclear which military plane he boarded and he did not mention his destination. Ghani’s lack of planning and failure to recognize the shortcomings of his advisers were the government’s undoing.