his name is obaidullah baheer. he just wrote a piece for the australian family review titled "my family fought alongside the taliban -- but i'm afraid for my friends." he begins the piece by writing -- "when kabul fell on sunday my father went on live tv to congratulate the taliban on their glorious victory. as i watched him praise the jihadists, my phone buzzed with panicked messages from friends who were terrified that taliban fighters would kill them in their homes." obaidullah's grandfather is gulbuddin hekmatyar, one of afghanistan's most notorious once nicknamed the butcher of kabul. his father was jailed at a cia torture site as well as the bagram air base. obaidullah baheer is a lecturer at american university of afghanistan. he teaches a course on transitional justice. he is joining us now from kabul. we welcome you to democracy now! there is so much to talk about, but if you could start by saying why you have made the decision to stay in kabul as you help so many of your friends try to race to kabul airpo

his name is obaidullah baheer. he just wrote a piece for the australian family review titled "my family fought alongside the taliban -- but i'm afraid for my friends." he begins the piece by writing -- "when kabul fell on sunday my father went on live tv to congratulate the taliban on their glorious victory. as i watched him praise the jihadists, my phone buzzed with panicked messages from friends who were terrified that taliban fighters would kill them in their homes." obaidullah's grandfather is gulbuddin hekmatyar, one of afghanistan's most notorious warlords. he was once nicknamed the butcher of kabul. his father was jailed at a cia torture site as well as the bagram air base. obaidullah baheer is a lecturer at american university of afghanistan. he teaches a course on transitional justice. he is joining us now from kabul. we welcome you to democracy now! there is so much to talk about, but if you could start by saying why you have made the decision to stay in kabul as you help so many of your friends try to ra

host: obaidullah baheer is a lecturer in afghanistan, joining us today. what is your message to america? guest: there's a very interesting piece on "the new york times" today on the chief of the army in afghanistan, who has also fled the country. basically, the essence of it is he says we lost because the united states tied our hands behind us, and then biden calls us cowards for not having fought. he said that we laid down 68,000 lives, which was 1/5 of our army, for the cause of defending this country, so don't belittle what sacrifices we gave to the country. beyond that, i think the american populace has the power of its own voice, and it really needs to keep president biden in check because he acts like none of this was his response ability. he acts like he did not owe anything to afghanistan. i do understand the withdrawal. trust me, we did not want troops to stay here longer, but there were better ways to go about it. there were better ways to support the armed forces. there were better ways to keep the afghan government that was extremely corrupt i

obaidullah baheer, thank you for joining us on bbc news. really important to hear what life is like in the city for residents such as yourself. how much have you been out and about on the streets since the taliban took over?— taliban took over? thank you for havin: taliban took over? thank you for having me- _ taliban took over? thank you for having me. there _ taliban took over? thank you for having me. there have _ taliban took over? thank you for having me. there have been - having me. there have been conflicting reports as to what has happened on the ground. i have been out. i was out today, i was out yesterday, i drove through a lot of the city yesterday. security under the city yesterday. security under the taliban, you see them heavily armed, in armoured vehicles, they are driving around the city, very passive, not interacting with a lot of people. they are maintaining security for international compounds, for government buildings. the conflicting reports, lyse doucet already talked about how they told some people that it was ok gi

kabul university lecturer obaidullah baheer gave his reaction to us secretary of state anthony blinken�*s comment that the international presence in afghanistan is a success. you stare at that statement and smile. it is quite ironic. a lot of what happened in afghanistan appeared to be as part of a deal struck between the taliban and the united states, and the idea here is that they gave up on the afghans. they left them stranded, everything that we saw, we could have negotiated a transitional government, we could've done a transfer of power, but none of that happened because they did not allow us time, they did not let us plan for it in advance. so it was just done too hastily? yes, it was. you are kindly speaking to us for a second time here on bbc news. we spoke to you a little bit earlier, when you talked about your fears of what was going on, yourfear — you didn't want to leave the house. that was a few hours ago. tell us how the last few hours have been. have things changed ? actually, things have been changing quite rapidly. what happened in the morning was that panic struck

kabul university lecturer obaidullah baheer gave his reaction to us secretary of state antony blinken's comment that the international presence in afghanistan is a success. you stare at that statement and smile. it is quite ironic. a lot of what happened in afghanistan appeared to be as part of a deal struck between the taliban and the united states, and the idea here is that they gave up on the afghans will stubby left them stranded, everything that we saw, that we could have negotiated a transitional government, we could've done a transfer of power, but none of that happened because they did not allow us time, they did not let us plan for its in advance. 50 us time, they did not let us plan for its in advance.— for its in advance. so it was 'ust done to hastily? i for its in advance. so it was 'ust done to hastily? yes, i for its in advance. so it was 'ust done to hastily? yes, it i for its in advance. so it wasjust done to hastily? yes, it was. i for its in advance. so it was just. done to hastily? yes, it was. you are kindly — done to hastily? yes, it was. you are kindly speakin

joining me now from kabul is obaidullah baheer — a lecturer at the american university of afghanistan. thank you for talking to us. i want to talk about the situation on the ground in a moment, but can i ask you your reaction to whoo the us secretary of state anthony blinken has said to say, calling the mission in afghanistan a success? i has said to say, calling the mission in afghanistan a success?— in afghanistan a success? i would 'ust stare in afghanistan a success? i would just stare at _ in afghanistan a success? i would just stare at that _ in afghanistan a success? i would just stare at that statement - in afghanistan a success? i would just stare at that statement and l just stare at that statement and smile. it is quite ironic, a lot of what happened in afghanistan appeared to be as part of a deal struck between the taliban movement and the united states and the idea here is that they gave up on the afghans, they left them stranded, everything that we saw we could have negotiated a transitional government, we could have done a transfer of power, but none of that happened,

host: obaidullah baheer is a lecturer in afghanistan, joining us today. what is your message to america? guest: there's a very interesting piece on "the new york times" today on the chief of the army in afghanistan, who has also fled the country. basically, the essence of it is he says we lost because the united states tied our hands behind us, and then biden calls us cowards for not having fought. he said that we laid down 68,000 lives, which was 1/5 of our army, for the cause of defending this country, so don't belittle what sacrifices we gave to the country. beyond that, i think the american populace has the power of its own voice, and it really needs to keep president biden in check because he acts like none of this was his response ability. he acts like he did not owe anything to afghanistan. i do understand the withdrawal. trust me, we did not want troops to stay here longer, but there were better ways to go about it. there were better ways to support the armed forces. there were better ways to keep the afghan government that was extremely corrupt i

afghan resident obaidullah baheer is a lecturer at kabul�*s american university. he now has security guards protecting him when he goes out in public. he described the anxiety many people are feeling in the country about the lack of military and humanitarian plans to deal with the crisis. there is not only a military strategy missing, there is also an emergency strategy not in place. everyone is flocking towards kabul whereas afghanistan is divided into almost nine zones, or four if you look at it militarily, and why isn't the government setting camps for people there? we heard the first vice president talking about the humanitarian crisis that might unfold and asked the international community to help out but they can only help out when you have a plan on the ground. and it seems to be missing. some people are thinking about that, others are thinking about how to get out of here. when the initial taliban pushed started, within the same day we had 21 flights booked out which meant the elite, those who can afford it, are trying to get out and it's going to bleed af

let's speak now to university lecturer obaidullah baheer and asuntha charles, who is the national director in afghanistan for the aid charity world vision. thank you to the pair of you for being us with. what is your assessment of what you have seen in the last 24 hours and the feeling in afghanistan at the moment? weill. afghanistan at the moment? well, there are apprehensions, - afghanistan at the moment? well, there are apprehensions, thank you for having _ there are apprehensions, thank you for having me on your show, people are worried — for having me on your show, people are worried as to whether the compliance that the taliban have shown _ compliance that the taliban have shown with regards to their rhetoric is going _ shown with regards to their rhetoric is going to — shown with regards to their rhetoric is going to translate into actual actions — is going to translate into actual actions. there are multiple issues at hand _ actions. there are multiple issues at hand right now, one is establishing the government, the other— establishing the government, the other is— estab

we're also joined by university lecturer obaidullah baheer, who is in kabul. morning to you both. thank you for joining us. so much to talk about. give us your assessment of what is going on and what the situation is where you are?— going on and what the situation is where you are? thank you. we all know that — where you are? thank you. we all know that the _ where you are? thank you. we all know that the situation _ where you are? thank you. we all know that the situation changed i where you are? thank you. we all i know that the situation changed very rapidly— know that the situation changed very rapidly in _ know that the situation changed very rapidly in the past few days. the last city— rapidly in the past few days. the last city to — rapidly in the past few days. the last city to fall to the taliban was kabul _ last city to fall to the taliban was kabul. across afghanistan i have been _ kabul. across afghanistan i have been in — kabul. across afghanistan i have been in contact with people, not only women, but also men, who are in uncertainty _ only women, but als

we'rejoined now by obaidullah baheer, a university lecturer in kabul. obaidullah, thank you for talking to us on breakfast. i canjust first ask, how are you? are you safe? do you feel safe, how i see your family? you feel safe, how i see your famil ? . ., . you feel safe, how i see your famil ? . ., , family? the attacks in kabulwere uuite family? the attacks in kabulwere quite unnerving — family? the attacks in kabulwere quite unnerving and _ family? the attacks in kabulwere quite unnerving and unsettling. . family? the attacks in kabulwere l quite unnerving and unsettling. the youngsters or the youth of afghanistan were hanging onto this glimmer of hope thinking that one positive out of the recent developments, or changes, was that the war was over, finally a time of peace and the number of afghans that used to die every day would not so it was quite shocking. it was scary to see that despite all the compromise and sacrifice, there were still battles to be fought, they were still people to be lost so yeah, not the best place to be and physically, ye