Shocking scenes of desperation and chaos in Afghanistan are stunning people around the world as the country falls into Taliban control. The takeover comes just weeks before the anniversary of the September 11 attacks that precipitated the US’s twenty-year military presence in the country. Afghans desperate to flee the Taliban’s violence are taking extreme measures. Hundreds of men were seen swarming an American cargo plane as it took off from Kabul, with some even holding on as it ascended.