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The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the new assessment of how long Kabul could stand was a result of the rapid gains the Taliban had been making around the country as U.S.-led foreign forces leave.
"But this is not a foregone conclusion," the official added, saying that the Afghan security forces could reverse the momentum by putting up more resistance.
The Islamists now control 65% of Afghanistan and have taken or threaten to take 11 provincial capitals, a senior EU official said on Tuesday.
All gateways to Kabul, which lies in a valley surrounded by mountains, were choked with civilians entering the city and fleeing violence elsewhere, a Western security source in the city told Reuters, making it hard to tell whether Taliban fighters were also getting through.
"The fear is of suicide bombers entering the diplomatic quarters to scare, attack and ensure everyone leaves at the earliest opportunity," he said.
Comment: Global Times has raised some valid points. One theory about the original outbreak does involve Ft. Detrick, whose personnel attended the Wuhan Military Games quite close to when the first cases were noted. Chinese officials have also legitimately asked for more information about a mysterious lung disease, which was attributed to 'vaping' that swept through the US Midwest in the late Summer/ early Fall of 2019. Answers have not been forthcoming from US authorities.