One year after the fall of Kabul, Peter van Agtmael (@pvanagtmael) wrote and photographed a story about his return to Afghanistan for @vanityfair:⁠ ⁠ “After a failed attempt to enter Afghanistan during the 2021 American withdrawal, I finally made it back to Kabul this past May. The process to enter the country, in fact, is similar to that of my previous trips. Secure a visa, the same one as I’d received from the former U.S.-backed government. Buy a late-night ticket for the daily flight from Dubai to Kabul on Kam Air, which serves the same surprisingly delicious omelet. Get stamped through customs by immigration officers – in the same uniforms.”⁠ ⁠ He continues, “But upon leaving the airport, the changes begin to become apparent. Checkpoints are still everywhere, yet are now manned by the Taliban. The fighters are casual. The war is over and it seems like they need an activity to occupy their time. They particularly don’t like the tinted windows on the passing vehicles.”⁠ ⁠ Read the full article at the link in bio.⁠ ⁠ Photos left to right: ⁠ ⁠ (1) At a gathering of the senior leadership of the Taliban, in Kabul, security seemed lax, even with arm guards on patrol. Afghanistan. 2022. ⁠ ⁠ (2)A telltale pothole near Ghazni, on National Highway 1, likely the result of roadside bombings during the war. Afghanistan. 2022. ⁠ ⁠ (3) A Taliban fighter walks through a former U.S. and Afghan base filled with destroyed American and Afghan vehicles. Ghazni. Afghanistan. 2022. ⁠ ⁠ (4) Two men sell melons outside of the blast walls that surround a government or military facility in Kabul. Afghanistan. 2022. ⁠ ⁠ (5) The Taliban’s senior leadership inside a Kabul media conference. Afghanistan. 2022. ⁠ ⁠ (6) An abandoned outpost on the side of the road in Wardak serves as ghostly reminder of the U.S. military presence. Afghanistan. 2022. ⁠ ⁠ (7) A Taliban fighter inhabits an office in a Kabul police station formerly controlled by the Afghan government. Afghanistan. 2022. ⁠ ⁠ © Peter van Agtmael (@pvanagtmael) / Magnum Photos