Afghan President Ashraf Ghani defends the decision to flee as Taliban forces entered Kabul

Afghanistan's president has defended his decision to leave the country, saying on Wednesday he had to do so to prevent bloodshed.

Ashraf Ghani has been bitterly criticised for flying out on Sunday as Taliban forces entered Kabul.

In his first public comments from exile in the UAE, Ghani also denied reports that he had taken large sums of money with him.

"All my colleagues in the West told me that if I didn't leave, things would be worse. I could have stayed and started a war, but I had a responsibility to my people, and I didn't want to start a bloodbath like in Syria and Yemen.... If I had stayed, I would have been executed..."

Meanwhile, thousands of diplomats, foreign citizens and ordinary Afghans are trying to leave the country.

Read more: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15873878/taliban-jalalabad-afghanistan-kabul-uk-troops/

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