The United States believed the Afghan military would stand up to the Taliban, but over the years the Taliban has overcome Afghan forces in skirmishes in Afghanistan, and the Taliban showed its prowess when it conquered Afghanistan in the 90s.
On July 13, 2021, a month before the Taliban overran Afghanistan, U.S. Embassy personnel sent a cable to Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning him the Afghanistan government was collapsing and an evacuation of Americans and Afghans should start immediately.
