Azra Jafari via Newsweek: We mourn our inability to help our fellow women and girls who are suffering under the Taliban, but most of all we feel anger at the United States and the international community for their betrayal of Afghan women. In the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, when the war on terror was
Michael Hughes: Afghanistan’s trade with Pakistan has plummeted since the rise of the Taliban 2.0 regime, driven by political rows and security issues, and to compensate Kabul is hoping to enhance commerce with Iran, India, and neighbors across Central Asia. Tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan have resulted in closure of trade routes and stiff tariffs
8am: Khalilzad is one of the most recognizable figures in Afghanistan’s political landscape over the past four decades, from the Cold War to the disastrous U.S. exit from Afghanistan. However, to better understand and clarify his actions and career, it is necessary to delve into his life so that readers can gain a clearer picture
Michael Hughes: In his farewell address as NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg suggested the weakness of the Afghan central government was decisive in the coalition failing to win the war against the Taliban, and undermined the alliance’s mission, which was justified in pursuit of countering international terrorism. “After 20 years we were still not winning
8am: The security and intelligence gaps created by the Taliban’s control over Afghanistan and the extensive presence of active terrorist and radical Islamic groups under their umbrella represent a significant and growing threat. This environment has created a remarkable opportunity for international terrorist organizations, including ISIS-K, al-Qaeda, and TTP, to strengthen and expand their operations.
The Dispatch: In February 2020, the Trump administration negotiated a deal with the Taliban, known as the Doha Agreement. At that time, the Taliban was not the government of Afghanistan—but Trump believed that the jihadist militia would defeat the government in Kabul, eventually, and wasn’t interested in doing what it would take to prevent that.
Michael Hughes August 10, 2024 The Taliban have long represented themselves as a group with a local vision and little to no aspirations of carrying jihad beyond Afghan borders. Putting aside that aligning with al-Qaeda, an international terrorist group, single-handedly undermines this narrative, evidence continues to mount that Afghanistan has become an ideal base for
Michael Hughes July 19, 2024 Afghanistan was not at the forefront of mind for most American voters in 2020, but four years later the situation is much different. With less than four months until the U.S. presidential election Afghanistan is at the center of attention, but not about go-forward policies. It is all about the
Davood Moradian: In Afghanistan’s crowded scene of actors and accomplices, the United Nations has been an enduring and prominent presence. However, it has successfully insulated itself from public scrutiny and accountability. Its decision to exclude Afghan women and civil society representatives from the just concluded Doha conference, the third such meeting the U.N. has sponsored,
Michael Hughes: Chinese President Xi Jinping at the South Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana called on the bloc to boost humanitarian support and efforts to rebuild Afghanistan given its criticality to the region’s security. The remarks come as the Taliban try to reassure the world the regime can crack down on terrorism, including