Pictures of Afghan troops across the country surrendering to the Taliban at Bagram are triggering questions. There are dire forecasts about imminent civil war and the return of terrorism due to the troops’ accelerated withdrawal. The Pentagon has now directed the pace of withdrawal be slowed for a few more weeks. There is also anger that people who helped the western alliance during its 20-year occupation are being abandoned. This includes 18,000 translators and support staff and their families who were promised immigration to the US. There is also profound regret that the US is abandoning the gains in women’s emancipation of the past two decades.