Afghan economy on verge of collapse as US troops depart

Abrupt exit leaves locals to deal with deteriorating security on their own

20210804 Afghanistan Bagram Kanika Gupta

An Afghan Army soldier inspects a junkyard filled with destroyed American equipment in Bagram, Afghanistan on July 2. (Photo by Kanika Gupta)

KANIKA GUPTA, Contributing writer

BAGRAM, Afghanistan -- As the U.S. military drawdown in Afghanistan nears completion, concerns are growing over the country's fledgling economy and weakening security.

Nowhere is the impact of the troop withdrawal more apparent than in the local economies of cities that profited from trade associated with nearby U.S. military bases, such as Bagram and Kabul.

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