Corrupt Afghan-President snuck out of the presidential palace Sunday with his inner circle of confidantes, fled with four vehicles and a helicopter full of cash. His destination wasn’t immediately revealed, though some reports have suggested he bolted to a USA. In a social media post from an unknown location, Ashraf Ghani, 72, claimed he had made his escape in order to save lives, writing, “If I had stayed, countless of my countrymen would be martyred and Kabul would face destruction and turn into ruins that could result to a human catastrophe for its six million residents.” Politicians and experts, however, say his sudden departure hampered negotiations for a smooth transfer of power with the Taliban — and that Ghani left his own people in the lurch, facing chaos and dread about a return to the militant group’s brutal rule.
In a post on her Instagram Monday, Mariam Ghani said she was “angry and grieving and terribly afraid for family, friends & colleagues left behind in Afghanistan,” adding that she was “working feverishly to do anything I can on their behalf.” He and his wife, Rula Ghani, who is from Lebanon, raised their two kids, Mariam and Tarek, in Maryland, when Ashraf taught at Johns Hopkins University. Mariam Ghani attended New York University and the School of Visual Arts.