♪ GEOFF: WE BEGIN A SERIES OF STORIES ON AFGHANISTAN TONIGHT THAT WILL LOOK AT THE STATE OF THAT NATION AFTER THE AMERICAN WAR THERE ENDED AND 25 YEARS AFTER SEPTEMBER 11.

THIS EVENING, WE HAVE AN INTIMATE LOOK AT THE LIVES OF THREE PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES AND HOW THEY ARE FARING FIVE YEARS AFTER THE TALIBAN WRENCHED CONTROL OF THE COUNTRY FROM THE U.S.-SUPPORTED GOVERNMENT.

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN AND VIDEOGRAPHER ERIC O'CONNOR, WHO WAS IN KABUL WHEN IT FELL, RECENTLY RETURNED FROM AFGHANISTAN AND FILED THIS REPORT.

AND A NOTE -- WE HAVE CHANGED THE NAMES OF ALL THE INTERVIEWEES IN THIS STORY FOR THEIR PROTECTION.

>> AT THE TALIBAN CELEBRATED FIVE YEARS OF MILITARY RULE IN AFGHANISTAN, THEY PARADED THROUGH KABUL IN A SHOW OF FORCE.

TALIBAN FIGHTERS, FRESH FROM TAKING THE COUNTRY AT LIGHTNING SPEED, ROAD IN TRIUMPH TO THE CAPITAL.

JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE SOLDIER HAD BEEN FIGHTING THESE MILITANTS HAD TO HAND, STATIONED ON THE SO-CALLED REDLINE, WHICH WAS CONSTANTLY UNDER TALIBAN AMBUSH.

HE REMEMBERS TO HIS TEAM -- REMEMBERS HIS TEAM RUSHING TO THE SCENE OF ONE TOO LATE.

>> WHEN WE ARRIVED, ONE OF OUR FRIENDS HAD BEEN SHOT SEVERAL TIMES IN HIS HANDS AND LEGS.

WE TOOK HIM TO THE CLINIC OURSELVES, BUT RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES, HE DIED.

I WAS DEEPLY HEARTBROKEN.

REPORTER: WHEN THEY WERE SUDDENLY TOLD TO LAY DOWN THEIR WEAPONS AND RETURN HOME, HE COULD NOT BELIEVE HIS EARS.

>> WE NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD CHANGE THE REGIME AND DEFEAT US.

WE NEVER CONSIDERED NOT FIGHTING AND SURRENDERING TO THEM.

REPORTER: SINCE HIS RETURN HOME, HE HAS AVOIDED AUTHORITIES.

EVERY DAY HE HEARS OF AN OLD ARMY FRIEND WHO HAS BEEN MYSTERIOUSLY KILLED OR DISAPPEARED.

IN THOSE DARK MOMENTS, HE CAN'T HELP BUT ASK, BUT WAS IT ALL FOR?

>> MANY PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES.

IF THEY WANTED TO SURRENDER AND HAND OVER THE GOVERNMENT, THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT FROM THE START TO AVOID ALL OF THIS.

>> AS HE AND HIS COMRADES SURRENDERED THEIR WEAPONS, PANIC PACKED THE STREETS OF KABUL.

TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AFGHANS TRIED TO FLEE IN THE FACE OF A VICTORIOUS TALIBAN.

FANS -- PARENTS SHIELDING SMALL CHILDREN ON THEIR BACKS, THRUSTING VISAS AND PAPERWORK AND COMPLETING CARDBOARD SIGNS INTO THE AIR, TRYING EVERYTHING TO MAKE IT TO SAFETY, TO A WAY OUT.

ONE WOMAN HAD TALIBAN FIGHTERS ARRIVED AT HER HOME, IT WAITING EVACUATION INSTRUCTIONS FROM HER EMPLOYER.

SHE WAS CALLED TO THE AIRPORT, BUT WHEN SHE ARRIVED, SHE WAS TOLD HER SMALL CHILDREN COULD NOT COME IN.

SHE WAS THERE TO ASSIST U.S.

OFFICIALS, NOT TO BE EVACUATED.

FORCED TO SPEAKER FIVE AND NINE-YEAR-OLDS BACK, SHE SNUCK IN WITH HER STILL BREAST-FEEDING BABY UNDER HER HEADSCARF.

>> THIS IS THE ONLY WAY I CAN SAVE YOU ALL.

[INDISCERNIBLE] BUT MY KIDS WERE HANGING IN MY LEGS.

THEY WERE NOT ALLOWING ME TO LEAVE.

STILL TO THIS DAY, I FEEL THAT NUMBNESS IN MY LEGS.

SHE WORKED 12 HOUR SHIFTS FOR FIVE DAYS WITH LITTLE WATER, SHADE, OR REST.

EVENTUALLY HER BABY FELL SICK TO FEVER AND SEVERE DEHYDRATION.

THERE WERE NO MEDICS AVAILABLE TO TREAT HIM.

SHE WOULD HAVE TO BOARD AN EVACUATION FLIGHT IMMEDIATELY.

"NOT WITHOUT MY CHILDREN," SHE REPLIED.

>> I SAW THERE WAS A HUGE LINE.

I GOT YELLED AT BY THE SOLDIERS, BY THE MILITARY.

I TRIED TO RUN.

HE CAME AFTER ME.

HE PUSHED ME.

I WAS ON THE GROUND WITH MY BABY .

AND THEN HE KICKED ME.

THAT WAS THE MOMENT I THOUGHT THEY ARE LYING THAT MY KIDS ARE NOT HERE.

REPORTER: FIVE YEARS LATER, HER LITTLE GIRL AND BOY ARE STILL TRAPPED IN AFGHANISTAN.

>> I'M AFRAID OF THE TALIBAN.

WHEN I SEE THEM TAKING AFGHAN WOMEN, I AM AFRAID THAT THEY WILL TAKE US TOO.

I FEEL SCARED AT NIGHT WHEN I SLEEP, AND I AM VERY STRESSED DURING THE DAY.

I FEEL SO SAD AND DEPRESSED.

LEILA: SHE HAS DEVELOPED A SEVERE ANXIETY DISORDER, STRUGGLES TO EAT, AND HAS CONSTANT NIGHTMARES.

>> I NEED TO GO TO MY MOTHER.

I MISS HER, AND WHENEVER I THINK ABOUT HER, I START CRYING.

LEILA: SHE STILL BRINGS OF THE LIFE IN THE U.S.

THAT WAS PROMISED TO HER.

>> I WANT TO GO THERE AND BUILD MY LIFE.

HERE, SCHOOLS ARE BANNED AND I CAN'T GO ANYWHERE.

LEILA: YOUR ELDERLY GRANDMOTHER DOES WHAT SHE CAN BUT IS STRUGGLING.

SHE BARELY TAKES THE KIDS OUTSIDE NOW.

MEANWHILE IN CALIFORNIA, ZAH RA HAS BEEN FIGHTING ON EVERY MONTH.

HER BABY DEVELOPED BRAIN CANCER.

SHE HAS SAT THROUGH SURGERY AFTER SURGERY ON HER OWN.

>> I WORRY SO MUCH SHE IS ALONE.

MY ONLY WISH IS TO SEE HER AND HUG HER.

IF I DID NOT SEE HER FOR JUST ONE NIGHT, I WOULD MISS HER, BUT NOW IT HAS BEEN FIVE YEARS.

LEILA: SIX TIMES, THE FAMILY HAS BEEN TOLD THEIR PAPERWORK WAS PROCESSED AND THEY COULD BOARD A PLANE TO THE U.S.

SIX TIMES, ZAHRA WAITED AS THEY WERE TURNED BACK.

>> ALL I KNOW IS I AM WAITING FOR MY KIDS, AND THAT HOPE IS KEEPING ME ALIVE.

I TRIED TO END MY LIFE TWO TIMES, ACTUALLY, BUT I REALIZED THEY DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE EXCEPT ME.

THEY NEED ME.

LEILA: BRETT, SHE SAYS, IS THE ONLY THING MORE PAINFUL THAN HER BROKEN DREAMS.

>> I WORK FOR THIS GOVERNMENT.

I PUT MY LIFE AT RISK, MY FAMILY'S LIFE AT RISK.

I LISTEN TO THEM.

I TRUSTED THEM.

I WISH I DID NOT.

LEILA: FIVE YEARS LATER, THE TALIBAN HAS A FIRM GRIP ON THE CAPITAL AND MOST OF THE COUNTRY, BUT NEW SECURITY THREATS HAVE EMERGED.

THE REGIONAL BRANCH OF ISIS CONTINUES TO LAUNCH ATTACKS ACROSS AFGHANISTAN.

AFGHAN GROUPS HAVE ALSO HIT GOVERNMENT LINKED TARGETS.

AND NOW MEMBERS OF THE DISBANDED AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY HAVE ANNOUNCED A FRESH OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE TALIBAN.

THOSE WHO WERE ONCE THE CITY'S ATTACKERS ARE NOW INSTANT VENDORS.

KABUL HAS NOT BEEN SO SAVED IN YEARS, BUT THE INCREASED PATROLS AND CHECKPOINTS HAVE MADE LIFE FOR THOSE HIDING RISKIER THAN EVER.

>> THESE PHOTOS ARE FROM THE NIGHT THE TALIBAN RELEASED MY SON.

LEILA: MAMA KNOWS WHAT THE TALIBAN IS CAPABLE OF.

HIS FAMILY HAS -- IN 2015, MOHAMED WAS WORKING FOR USAID, PROMOTING WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN RURAL AREAS.

LOCAL TALIBAN FIGHTERS SIDE AS A DIRECT CHALLENGE TO THEIR VALUES.

HIS 13-YEAR-OLD SON WAS KIDNAPPED OUTSIDE THEIR HOME AND TORTURED FOR A MONTH.

THEY LEFT THE FAMILY IN NO DOUBT WHY THEY HAD DONE IT.

>> THEY HAD TORTURED HIM SEVERELY.

IT LOOKED AS THOUGH HIS ENTIRE BODY HAD BEEN BEATEN.

HE TOLD THEM, BECAUSE HER FATHER WORKS WITH THE AMERICANS, WE WILL KILL YOU.

THEY WILL SEND US VIDEOS SHOWING HIM BEATING HIM WHILE HE WAS SCREAMING IN PAIN.

LEILA: EVENTUALLY, AFTER MOHAMMED SOLD EVERYTHING THE FAMILY OWNED TO RAISE A $50,000 RANSOM, HER SON WAS DUMPED ON THE STREET.

HE WOULD NOT REGAIN HIS SIGHT OR HEARING FOR MONTHS.

>> AT NIGHT HE WOULD CRY AND SCREAM AND HE THOUGHT HE WAS STILL WITH THEM.

EVEN NOW, 10 YEARS LATER, WE SOMETIMES SEE HIM CRYING IN HIS SLEEP AT NIGHT.

HE STILL HAS NOT FULLY RECOVERED.

LEILA: TWO MEN WERE IMPRISONED FOR KIDNAPPING AND TORTURING HIS SON, BUT WHEN THE TALIBAN TOOK POWER, THEY WERE RELEASED.

ONE OF THEM AS A POLICEMAN MANNING A CHECKPOINT.

>> I RECEIVED A CALL FROM AN UNKNOWN NUMBER.

HE ASKED, WHERE ARE YOU?

I ASKED, WHO ARE YOU?

HE SAID, YOU WILL RECOGNIZE ME.

WE HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH THIS STRESS AND FEAR EVERY DAY.

LEILA: AT THE END OF 2024, THE FAMILY WAS TOLD THEIR VISAS HAD BEEN APPROVED, BUT THEN CAME TRUMP'S EXECUTIVE ORDER FREEZING THE REFUGEE PROGRAM.

SINCE THEN, THEY HAVE BEEN LIVING IN HIDING, MOVING EVERY FEW MONTHS.

>> THE ONLY FEELING I HAVE IS HOPELESSNESS.

SOMETIMES I ASK MYSELF, WHY DID WE WORK WITH THE AMERICANS FOR SO MANY YEARS?

WHY DID WE STAND BESIDE THEM?

LEILA: ABANDONED BY THOSE WHO PROMISED SAFETY IN RETURN TO SERVICE, THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES TO AFGHANISTAN HAVE LITTLE LEFT TO LIVE FOR HERE.

BUT IN HISTORIC PEACE DEAL, CLAIMS OF A SAFER COUNTRY FOR ALL, UNLESS YOU ARE BEING HUNTED BY THE VERY PEOPLE IN POWER.

I'M LEILA MALAN ISLAND -- LEILA MOLANA-ALLEN IN KABUL, AFGHANISTAN.