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The World Bank estimates 13.5% of Afghans currently have access to the internet   DW: Will the Taliban restrict internet access in Afghanistan?   The Taliban say that they want to ensure internet access in Afghanistan, but they could face substantial technical and financial challenges to keep it running.  Afghans say they fear more surveillance and censorship.   "The Taliban have started to turn the internet on and off in some parts of Kabul," said Habib Khan Totakhil, an Afghan journalist and founder of the Afghan Peace Initiative.  After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, losing internet access has become a major worry for Afghans, especially among the middle class.   Read more ....   Update #1: Fears loom over Afghanistan’s internet (Politico)   Update #2: What Happens to Afghans' Right to Internet Under the Taliban? (The Wire)   WNU Editor : Afghanistan's internet service will be regulated and controlled. It may also be shut down. The question is

PANJSHIR VALLEY: The valley lies around 100 miles north of Kabul, overlooked by the Hindu Kush mountains and with narrow approaches ideally suited for ambushes, the river valley stretches for miles, opening into broad meadows where its 170,000 people live   Daily Mail: The Taliban's worst nightmare: Resistance forces train in the Afghan mountains as they vow never to bend the knee to the new rulers of Kabul   * Resistance forces trained in Panjshir Valley, strategic fortress sitting north of Kabul in Hindu Kush mountains  * Fighters waded through water with logs of wood over their back while others trained with their rifles  * Anti-Taliban uprising forces have vowed to defend the 170,000 residents in the region, most of them Tajiks  Resistance forces in Afghanistan have vowed to continue in their fight against the Taliban as they trained in the Panjshir Valley, a strategic fortress which sits north of Kabul.  Hundreds of fighters, who have never surrendered to the new ruler

  SCMP: China pledges to help rebuild Afghanistan and, while blaming US for chaos, insists it pays too   China has pledged to help reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan after American troops have completely withdrawn, but demands that Washington also pay its share.  In a sign that tensions between the two rivals will persist, the Chinese foreign ministry issued its criticism and demands for the United States on Tuesday, following Washington’s announcement that its mission in the Central Asian nation had ended.  The development marked a new start in Afghanistan for peace and development, but the US must reflect on its failure, ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a press conference.  Read more ....  WNU Editor: Chinese state media is saying that China is best positioned to help Afghanistan's reconstruction .... Why China is best positioned to help Afghanistan reconstruction (Global Times). The Taliban are in agreement .... China, our ‘great neighbour’, will help Afghan

  Global Times: U.S. helps bring refugees to Canada, but 1,250 Canadians remain in Afghanistan   Canada is accepting 5,000 Afghan refugees evacuated by the United States, federal officials said Tuesday as they work to rescue 1,250 Canadians stuck in the Taliban-ruled country.  The deal comes as part of a new agreement reached with the U.S. in order to secure safe passage for Afghans fleeing the Islamist militant group, said Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino.  They will be accepted as part of the government’s expanded 20,000 Afghan refugee program.   Read more ....  WNU Editor: As bad as the U.S. and other countries have handled the evacuation of their citizens and allies in Afghanistan, Canada's efforts have been a complete and dismal failure.  More News On 1,250 Canadians Being Stranded In Afghanistan   Canada says it knows of hundreds of citizens and permanent residents left in Afghanistan -- CBC   Ottawa pins hopes on Kabul airport reopening as hundreds with lin

A retired US general says America's return to Afghanistan is 'inevitable' now that terrorist groups will flourish under Taliban rule. Pictured: US troops help passengers board an evacuation flight on August 24   Daily Mail: EXCLUSIVE: Retired three-star general says America's return to Afghanistan is 'inevitable' as terrorist groups flourish under Taliban rule - as he slams Biden's 'immature, unsophisticated' plan that turned the US into a 'laughing stock'   * A retired three-star US general has warned of America's 'inevitable' return to Afghanistan now that Taliban forces have taken control of the country  * The former military leader, who previously briefed multiple presidents, spoke anonymously to DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview  * The general says terrorist organizations will only flourish under Taliban rule now that US and NATO have no on-the-ground bases in the region  * 'The next time we go there, if we n

President Biden joins G7 summit leaders in a group photo in June 2021. In a G7 meeting last week, European leaders pushed the US to extend the August 31 deadline for troop departure. Photo: Reuters   Jen Kirby, VOX: NATO allies are preparing for a future without America’s “forever wars”   How the US’s Afghanistan withdrawal echoed overseas.  Afghanistan wasn’t just America’s 20-year war. It also belonged to US allies.  “This has been above all a catastrophe for the Afghan people. It’s a failure of the Western world and it’s a game changer for international relations,” the European Union’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell told an Italian newspaper Monday, according to the Washington Post.  “Certainly,” he continued, “we Europeans share our part of responsibility. We cannot consider that this was just an American war.”   Read more ....   WNU Editor: Former President Trump put pressure on fellow NATO members to keep their promises on defense spending .... and for that was branded a

  Daily Mail: Biden administration now considers giving Taliban AID if they 'uphold their international obligations': Marauding jihadis taunt West with mock FUNERALS for Allied troops as they flaunt billions of dollars of US hardware left behind   * National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday that the US could send economic aid to the Taliban  * Taliban 'victory' parades took place in Afghanistan today after the last US troops left the country overnight  * Coffins draped in the US, UK, French and NATO flags were paraded through the streets by the Islamists  * Thousands of people waving Taliban flags turned out to watch, after fireworks were let off in Kabul overnight  * Meanwhile Taliban leaders paraded at Kabul airport alongside troops decked out head to toe in western gear  * Taliban commander boasted the airfield will now be 'a base for jihad for all Muslims'  * Up to 200 American citizens who want to leave were left behind along with thous

BBC: Afghanistan: How can the West stop terror bases?   "The UK will fight Islamic State by all means available," says Dominic Raab. The foreign secretary added that the UK would "draw on all elements of national power" to pursue the group's leaders.  So what does that mean in practice? What exactly are the tools at Britain's disposal? Or is this, as some critics would maintain, just an empty boast?  First off, let's review what's been lost.  The Taliban takeover of nearly the whole of Afghanistan means that the West - and specifically the CIA, MI6 and other intelligence agencies - no longer has a trusted, in-country security service or Afghan special forces to work with.  For the nearly 20 years that NATO and other multinational forces have been in Afghanistan, the intelligence provided by the country's National Directorate of Security has been vital in disclosing the covert activities of al-Qaeda, ISIS-K (the Afghan affiliate of Islamic

The littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords, front, exercises with the Republic of Singapore Navy Formidable-class multi-role stealth frigate RSS Steadfast in the South China Sea, on May 25, 2020.   CNN: In the turbulent South China Sea, the US Navy bets on a troubled warship   Hong Kong (CNN)When US Vice President Kamala Harris stepped aboard the littoral combat ship USS Tulsa in Singapore on Monday, it put a fresh spotlight on arguably one of the most divisive vessels in the US Navy's fleet.  Depending on who you talk to, littoral combat ships (LCS) are either a naval threat capable of "blowing up every Chinese operation in the South China Sea," or a floating symbol of all the US Navy's most pernicious problems.  And while US naval leaders tout the LCS' speed and agility in shallower coastal areas, critics point to its limited armaments and history of mechanical breakdowns.   "The reason we are here is important," Harris told the crew of the

Healthcare workers at a vaccination centre in Lausanne. Switzerland's vaccine deliveries are conducted by the Swiss army.PHOTO: AFP Straits Times/Bloomberg: Switzerland warns of terror attacks on Covid-19 vaccine sites   ZURICH (BLOOMBERG) - Switzerland's Federal Intelligence Service is warning of potential terrorist attacks on coronavirus vaccine infrastructure including vaccination centres, transport and manufacturing facilities, newspaper NZZ am Sonntag reported on Sunday (Aug 29).  "Attacks on such targets would both hit large crowds and generate intensive media coverage," the agency's spokesman Isabelle Graber said in a written response to questions from NZZ.  The agency is concerned about attacks from militant groups, the newspaper reported.  So far, there are no tangible indications of planned attacks, according to the agency.  Switzerland's vaccine deliveries are coordinated and conducted by the Swiss army. Doses are stored in secret locations.

Rylee McCollum's family (L-R: sister Cheyenne, sister Roice and father Jim) said they felt Biden was 'fake' in his sympathy on Sunday. Roice and Jim refused to meet with he president at Dover    Daily Mail: 'I hope you burn in hell! That was my brother!' What sister of Marine killed in Afghanistan screamed at Biden during Dover casket ceremony where he 'wouldn't even look' relatives in the eye   * Families of the fallen U.S. service members were left disappointed by President Joe Biden's actions at the dignified transfer on Sunday  * One sister of a fallen Marine yelled at the president: 'I hope you burn in hell! That was my brother!'  * Roice McCollum, the sister of fallen Marine Rylee McCollum, said: 'You cannot kneel on our flag and pretend you care about our troops'  * 'You can't f**k up as bad as he did and say you're sorry,' she added. 'This did not need to happen, and every life is on his hands' 

US President Joe Biden will hope to pivot from the Afghan disaster to his domestic agenda SAUL LOEB AFP   France 24: After Afghanistan, Biden stakes presidency on domestic battles   This has been a miserable summer for Joe Biden but with the last troops out of Afghanistan the Democrat will now hope to relaunch his struggling presidency back home.  From the initial chaos in which Afghans tried clinging to departing US planes, to last Thursday's deaths of 13 US service members in a suicide bombing, the evacuation from Taliban-controlled Kabul has been ugly and traumatic.  How much it has hurt Biden politically is the question ricocheting around the White House, Congress and a divided nation.  A longtime former senator and two-term vice president, Biden long boasted of his foreign policy expertise.  With close allies like Britain upset over the abrupt Afghan pullout and China mocking US policy from the sidelines, those claims are now tarnished. Some Republicans have demanded i

The reporting system for foreign vessels entering and leaving China’s territorial water was added to the Maritime Traffic Safety Law which was revised in April. From Wednesday foreign ships must report ship ID and cargo information to China’s maritime administrations. Photo: Weibo   SCMP: South China Sea: China demands foreign vessels report before entering ‘its territorial waters’   Foreign vessels entering what Beijing deems its "territorial waters" must report to China under maritime regulations meant to strengthen its claims over disputed waters, including the South China Sea. China's Maritime Safety Administration said that under regulations taking effect on Wednesday, vessels of foreign nationality entering China's territorial seas must report ship and cargo information to China's maritime administrations.  The reporting requirements applied to submersibles, nuclear vessels, ships carrying radioactive materials, ships carrying bulk oil, chemicals, liq

  Newsweek: Taliban Limits Afghans to $200 Weekly Bank Withdrawals Amid Economic Uncertainty   The Taliban has limited Afghans to bank withdrawals of just $200 weekly amid economic uncertainty after the group returned to power in Afghanistan, the Associated Press reported.  With the limited weekly withdrawals, thousands of people were lined up waiting to take out funds outside of the Afghan National Bank in Kabul.  The salaries of many Afghans have gone unpaid. Mustafa, a waiter in the capital of Kabul, said he is responsible for supporting his family of 11 and his salary was cut 75 percent.  He now earns less than $50 a month since the Taliban's takeover.   Read more ....  WNU Editor: The problem with the Taliban limiting withdrawals to $200 per week is that there is no money in the banks to withdraw.  More News On Afghanistan's Economy   Afghanistan confronts economic meltdown after Taliban takeover -- Financial Times   Afghanistan's healthcare system near

Update 14:48 EST: He is late Update 15:00 EST : This is an address that should not be delayed. President Biden is already an hour and a half late. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/3mPNaGQ via IFTTT

INBOX: 90 retired Generals and Admirals call for Milley and Austin to resign immediately pic.twitter.com/9Sm4eLKoC6 — Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) August 30, 2021 Daily Mail: 90 retired generals and admirals call for Austin and Milley to resign immediately over the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal   * Ninety retired military generals and admirals are demanding Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley resign  * Calls for resignation 'based on negligence in performing their duties primarily involving events surrounding the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan'  * Also said if Milley and Austin advised against withdrawal, they should have resigned if Biden didn't take their direction in protest of his leadership  * Letter's signatories include Admiral John Poindexter, who served as President Ronald Reagan's national security adviser  * House Rep. Ronny Jackson, the former top White House physician to Preside

People who have been evacuated from Afghanistan arrive at Pristina International Airport in Pristina, Kosovo August 29, 2021. REUTERS/Laura Hasani   CNN: Taliban members escorted Americans to gates at Kabul airport in secret arrangement with US   (CNN)The US military negotiated a secret arrangement with the Taliban that resulted in Taliban members escorting groups of Americans to the gates of the Kabul airport as they sought to escape Afghanistan, according to two defense officials.  One of the officials also revealed that US special operations forces set up a "secret gate" at the airport and established "call centers" to guide Americans through the evacuation process.  The officials said Americans were notified to gather at pre-set "muster points" close to the airport where the Taliban would gather the Americans, check their credentials and take them a short distance to a gate manned by American forces who were standing by to let them inside amid h

Biden’s Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby: “We have Americans that get #stranded in countries all the time.” pic.twitter.com/VXH5vxAwlI — Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) August 31, 2021 FOX News : Pentagon acknowledges Americans 'stranded' in Afghanistan despite Jen Psaki claiming term was 'irresponsible'   'We have Americans that get stranded in countries all the time,' Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said  Pentagon spokesman John Kirby acknowledged Tuesday that Americans were "stranded" in Afghanistan, despite the earlier stance by White House press secretary Jen Psaki that use of the term to describe those unable to escape the Taliban-controlled country was "irresponsible."  In an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Kirby admitted to not knowing the exact number of Americans still in Afghanistan, but that efforts to extract them from the war-torn country would be through diplomatic and economic means, not with the milit

WNU Editor: It was originally scheduled for 13:30 EST. My gut tells me that they are telling President Biden some bad news right now. Is it because of the aftermath of Hurricane Ida? Afghanistan? Your guess is as good as mine. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/2Y7P4YN via IFTTT

From senior US source: house-to-house executions in Kabul following US mil departure. There are no words for what this administration has done to all of us - Afghan and American. pic.twitter.com/KzbLALKxGy — Lara Logan (@laralogan) August 30, 2021 FOX News: Taliban commit 'house-to-house executions' in Kabul after US exit as chilling audio demonstrates Afghans' fear   Afghan man who helped the US on the ground: 'I have no idea how to leave'.   Horrifying audio of distant gunshots appears to confirm reports of "house-to-house executions" as the Taliban asserts control of Kabul and Afghanistan after the U.S. military's departure on Monday evening.  An Afghan man who worked with Americans on the ground provided Fox News with the chilling audio featuring distant gunshots. "I think there's a conflict between the Taliban, I have no idea where I'm located.  From everywhere I hear the sounds of shooting, gunfire. I have no idea how to

 According to information published by Tass on August 27, 2021, the Sea Underwater Weapon — Gidropribor Company (integrated into the Tactical Missiles Corporation) unveiled an underwater drone capable of surveying the sea bottom and operating autonomously for three months at the Army 2021 international military-technical forum. Read full news at this link Underwater drone (Picture source: Tass) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3yqphrv via IFTTT

The Royal Thai Army (RTA) is acquiring three Daher Kodiak 100 utility aircraft to replace four of their soon to be retired Cessna U-17B Skywagon fleet Read full news at this link Kodiak 100   (Picture source: Daher) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3kIIe3T via IFTTT

 According to information published by Associated Press on August 28, 2021, the third and final Zumwalt-class destroyer USS Lyndon B. Johnson left the Maine Coast to begin sea trials in the Atlantic Ocean. Read full news at this link Zumwalt-class destroyer USS Lyndon B. Johnson DDG 1002 (Picture source: U.S. Department of Defense) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/38tIv4I via IFTTT

  Daily Mail: New Orleans faces THREE WEEKS without electricity after Hurricane Ida downed 2,000 miles of power lines across Louisiana, as looting begins and sewage companies warn outage has stopped pumps from working   * At least one person is dead - a 60 year-old man who died when a tree fell on his home - but Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards warned Monday that he expects the total dead to 'go up considerably'  * President Joe Biden agreed during a conference call with governors from affected states Monday, and told Bel Edwards to 'holler' for assistance  * More than 1 million homes were without power through Louisiana and Mississippi on Monday, with 144,000 in the Big Easy alone reporting power failures. The outage could last for three weeks  * Among buildings destroyed was the Karofsky Tailor Shop, which jazz legend Louis Armstrong once lived above  * Energy officials said they were working to restore power in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida but warned 

Evacuees from Afghanistan walk at the U.S. airbase in Ramstein, Germany, August 28, 2021. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach   Tara Copp, Defense One: The Last U.S. Military Plane Has Left Kabul. What’s Next for Americans, Afghans Left Behind?   "Do not count on Americans to save you," one volunteer rescue group warns Afghans now at risk.   The last U.S. military plane has left Afghanistan, U.S. officials announced, ending 20 years of war but also closing down the main route home for stranded Americans and Afghans who are now running for their lives.  "I'm here to announce the completion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters via videoconference.  “The last C-17 lifted off from Hamad Karzai International Airport on August 30, this afternoon, at 3:29 p.m., East Coast time. And the last manned aircraft is now clear of the airspace above Afghanistan.”  Pentagon and White House offici

 The Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) will commence receiving the newest Altius combat unmanned aerial system (UAS) in autumn, Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko told Russian media. Read full news at this link Altius-U performed its first flight in 2019 (Picture source: Russian MoD) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/3BqX9pT via IFTTT

According to information released on August 31, 2021, the European leading robotics and autonomous systems developer Milrem Robotics will support the upgrade of the Estonian Defence Forces CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicles with engineering expertise as part of a consortium led by Go Craft and Scania Estonia. Read full Defense News at this link .. . Estonian army CV90 tracked armored IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle. (Picture source Estonia MoD) Read More from World Defence News https://ift.tt/38oYpxk via IFTTT

 According to information published by Taiwan News on August 30, 2021, the Republic of China Navy has deployed Hsiung Feng III missiles at a newly constructed base, Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, in Taichung, which houses multiple naval units. Read full news at this link Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile (Picture source: Deagel) Read more from World Defence News https://ift.tt/2Y34spk via IFTTT

  Daily Mail : Blinken admits up to 200 Americans are still stranded in Afghanistan after last US flights left 24 hours before deadline but vows to keep working to get US citizens and Afghan allies out by ROAD   * Blinken said the US would hold the Taliban to commitments to allow free movement  * 'We believe there are still a small number of Americans, under 200 and likely closer to 100, who remain in Afghanistan and want to leave,' he said   * Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie said the last flight left Kabul shortly after midnight on Tuesday morning local time  * 'There's a lot of heartbreak associated with this departure,' he said by videolink at a Pentagon briefing  * It brings an end to America's war in Afghanistan after 20 years and the deaths of almost 2500 U.S. troops  * It means President Biden met his August 31 deadline and that U.S. service members are out of harm's way  * He said the world would hold the Taliban to their promise to allow free pass

Major General Christopher Donahue, 52, was the last soldier to leave Kabul. He boarded the final U.S. Air Force flight out of Afghanistan, at one minute before midnight on Monday   Daily Mail: Last man out of Afghanistan: Two-star general and 30-year Army veteran Christopher Donahue is revealed as the final American soldier to board a plane out of Kabul Airport   * Maj Gen Christopher Donahue, 52, was the last soldier to leave Afghanistan  * He flew out on the final flight at 3:29pm Washington time on Tuesday, or one minute before midnight in Kabul  * Donahue is the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina  * His division is the nation's Immediate Response Force, and they are positioned to deploy anywhere in the world within 18 hours of notification  * Donahue has deployed 17 times in support of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Eastern Europe  * He served in the special forces before studying at Harvard and working in t

The US Marine Corps posted a photo to Twitter Sunday evening, of the flag flag-draped caskets of their fallen brethren killed in Thursday's suicide bomb attack in Kabul   Daily Mail: Suicide bomb victim Rylee McCollum's sister blasts Joe Biden's 'scripted and shallow' chat at Delaware memorial service   * On Sunday, the remains of Marine Rylee McCollum, 20, were returned to the United States  * McCollum's pregnant wife, Jiennah Crayton and his sister Roice, received his remains at Dover Air force in Delaware  * When it came time to meet the president, Roice left the room with additional family members  * She told the Washington Post she did not want to speak with the man her family held responsible for McCollum's death  * McCollum was one of the 13 service members killed in the ISIS-K suicide bomb attack at the Kabul airport on Thursday  * His pregnant wife, Jiennah, 20, is expecting the young couple's first child in September  * The young coup

The Taliban says negotiations with European states, regarding the reopening of embassies, are already under way in Doha, Qatar Pics: what we saw today at the abandoned French Embassy. Heavy Taliban security all around pic.twitter.com/PVL4dMJQDq — Murad Gazdiev (@MuradGazdiev) August 30, 2021 WNU Editor: It looks like some European governments are pondering the idea of recognizing the Taliban regime. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/3kFe4y9 via IFTTT

(Click on Image to enlarge)   WNU Editor: These numbers are staggering. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/3kHNrJ9 via IFTTT

  The SUN: TELEVISED TERROR Shocking moment Taliban militants storm Kabul TV station to demand anchor praise Afghan terror group   THIS is the shocking moment Taliban militants stormed a Kabul TV station to demand the news anchor praise the Afghan terror group.  Footage of the Sunday incident, which was shared on Twitter and swiftly amassed over one million views, showed an Afghan TV anchor reading the news with gun-toting Taliban members alongside him.  The video was recorded at the Afghan TV network Peace Studio and comes just weeks after the United States abruptly withdrew from Afghanistan — allowing the Taliban to regain power, nearly 20 years after the US came into the country in the wake of 9/11.  BBC's Yalda Hakim tweeted a video clip of the news report on Sunday afternoon and wrote: "Afghanistan TV - surreal.  "This is what a political debate now looks like on Afghan TV, Taliban foot soldiers watching over the host.   Read more ....   WNU Editor: I give

U.S. President Biden. Reuters   WNU Editor: If he does not address this defeat tonight, he will have to do it tomorrow. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/3mN01JU via IFTTT

Just listen to the intensity of the celebratory gunfire in Kabul. I get the sense the Taliban expended more ammunition on celebration than on actual combat over the past month Going to be fun trying to sleep tonight pic.twitter.com/Jbq48O5WIg — Murad Gazdiev (@MuradGazdiev) August 30, 2021 Had to climb on to the roof… but yes. Hundreds of tracer rounds are streaming into the sky at the airport. Taliban evidently celebrating victory pic.twitter.com/qVfxMCZ6Ik — Murad Gazdiev (@MuradGazdiev) August 30, 2021 WNU Editor: From AP ..... Taliban celebrate victory as U.S. troops leave Afghanistan (AP).   Update: Are these the last pictures of US soldiers leaving Afghanistan? According to Afghan journalist Masoom Ghaznavi he posted what he called “the last pictures of the occupation of our country,” showing US troops preparing to leave the airport. It is hard to differentiate the U.S. soldiers and Taliban fighters with their similar clothes and weapons. دا تاریخي انځورونه د

  Daily Mail: BREAKING NEWS: Pentagon confirms the LAST US troops and evacuation flights have left Afghanistan just after midnight in Kabul: Taliban 'take control of airport and celebrate with gunfire' as 20-year war ends   * Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie said the last flight left Kabul shortly after midnight on Tuesday morning local time  * 'There's a lot of heartbreak associated with this departure,' he said by videolink at a Pentagon briefing  * It brings an end to America's war in Afghanistan after 20 years and the deaths of almost 2500 U.S. troops  * It means President Biden met his August 31 deadline and that U.S. service members are out of harm's way  * Witnesses said Taliban fighters fired celebratory shots into the air as word spread that the last flight had left  The Pentagon announced on Monday afternoon that the last American troops had left Kabul airport almost 24 hours ahead of schedule, ending the U.S. war in Afghanistan after 20 years