The ‘exceedingly dangerous’ next 30 hours: Countdown to US Afghanistan final exit

GOING DARK IN 30: If you’re reading this newsletter at 8 a.m. Washington time, it’s 4:30 p.m. In Kabul. Just under 30 hours until midnight Aug. 31 in Afghanistan. By this time tomorrow morning, there will be less than eight hours before the deadline, and the last of the U.S. troops in Afghanistan may already be gone.

Today, a steady stream U.S. C-17 cargo planes could be seen landing and taking off from the Kabul airport, but the numbers were smaller than in recent days. As of Sunday, there were several...