Two days ago, U.S. intelligence sources let it be known that that Afghanistan's government might fall in as soon as 90 days. Today the Taliban are already reportedly nearing the outskirts of Kabul, advancing to Maidan Shar, 25 miles from the capital.
US troops now in Kabul will be able to airlift thousands of people a day, officials say.
Around 600 British troops are due to arrive in the city this weekend to help with the withdrawal of UK citizens. They will also assist the relocation of Afghans who helped British forces and now risk reprisals from the Taliban.
Other Western countries are now scrambling to evacuate their nationals, scaling back their presence in Afghanistan and in some cases closing their embassies altogether.
Two trillion dollars, plus interest.
