Irish Examiner view: Grim warning of what lies ahead

Carnage in Afghanistan

Smoke rises from explosion outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on Thursday. Picture: AP Photo/Wali Sabawoon

The carnage in Kabul yesterday, when at least 60 civilians and 12 US service members were killed by suicide bombers, is even more tragic because the attacks were anticipated. That the killings could not be prevented despite those warnings is a stark reminder of how very chaotic the city is and how the power of Western allies has waned. That chaos will intensify as efforts to airlift thousands trying to escape the Taliban — and now, more extreme organisations — draw to a close.

The bombings may force an extension of the airlift deadline but they also highlight how vulnerable all of those trying to get a seat on a plane are as they approach the airport’s immediate surroundings. The deaths of the US troops shows, too, that those charged with maintaining some sort of order are in the gravest jeopardy. How those deaths sway American opinion or policy is, at this point, an open question.