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Ousted Afghan President Ghani in United Arab Emirates

VOA News

   Deposed Afghan President Ashraf Ghani is in the United Arab Emirates
   after fleeing Afghanistan earlier this week as the Taliban seized
   control, the UAE said Wednesday.

   "The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation can
   confirm that the UAE has welcomed President Ashraf Ghani and his family
   into the country on humanitarian grounds,"the ministry said in a
   statement.

   Ghani fledAfghanistanon SundaybeforeTalibanfightersarrived
   inKabulwithout resistance.Ghani posted on Facebook that the "Taliban
   have won" and that heleftAfghanistan to prevent a "flood of bloodshed."

   Until Wednesday, it was believed Ghani had fled to Oman,Tajikistanor
   Uzbekistan.

   In his first public comments since his departure, Ghani saidhis
   continued presence in Afghanistan would have led to more killing.

   "Had I stayed back, there would have been bloodshed in the streets
   ofKabuland it would have turned into another Syria," he saidin a video
   posted on Facebook. "I wanted to negotiate an inclusive government with
   theTaliban, buttheTaliban entered Kabul despite public pledges not to
   do so."

   Ghani also denied unconfirmed reports that he had a large amount of
   money when he fled and noted his denial can be verified by customs.

   After rulingAfghanistan from 1996-2001, the Taliban were ousted by the
   U.S.-led invasion that followed the September 11,2001, terror
   attacks.Theyrecaptured Afghanistan's major cities in only10 daysthis
   monthwith relatively little bloodshed after 20 years of war that killed
   hundreds of thousands of people.

   U.S. President Joe Bidenearlier this week admitted the Taliban's
   seizure of the country was surprisingly fast but stilldefendedthe
   withdrawal of U.S. troops.

   "Afghan political leaders gave up and fled. The Afghan military
   collapsed, without trying to fight. '¦ American troops cannot and
   should not be fighting and dying in war that Afghan forces aren't
   willing to,"Biden said.

   Associated Press,AgenceFrance-PresseandReutersprovided some information
   for this report.

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