Many fear extremists will roll back two decades of rights gains for woman and ethnic minorities while stifling freedoms and punishing those who worked with foreign powers

Helicopters whisk diplomats from US and other NATO countries to airport, but fate of translators and others in most danger for helping foreign forces unclear

Helicopters land at US Embassy; group has swept through the country, regaining control of wide swaths within days; American officials burn sensitive documents

Islamist insurgents now holding all the cards in any negotiated surrender of the capital Kabul

Last-minute decision reflects dire state of country's security as Taliban seizes control of multiple cities in a few short days

Staff instructed to bring documents and equipment 'which could be misused in propaganda efforts' to incinerators, other disposal sites

US and Britain deploying thousands of troops to evacuate their citizens from capital as insurgents conquer more and more cities

Pentagon says 3,000 troops to deploy in Kabul to secure exit of personnel; UK will send 600 troops to guard exit of its own diplomats as local security forces appear to collapse

After group captures 7 of 34 provincial capitals, US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad tells insurgents a military takeover of Kabul would guarantee international isolation

Zabulon Simantov, who tends to country's lone synagogue, fears US military’s promise to pull out will leave vacuum, likely to be filled by the Taliban