By Muhammad Murad via The Diplomat: In Trump, Afghanistan sees a familiar face – the man who threw them into this chaos. The de facto rulers of Afghanistan, however, see a different picture. Taliban leaders see a man who gave in to their demands and agreed to negotiate with them directly without considering the erstwhile
“The strongest is never strong enough to be always the master, unless he transforms strength into right, and obedience into duty.” – Jean Jacques Rousseau Michael Hughes: At some point, based on the laws of human nature, Afghans will no doubt say “enough.” The violations of universal social norms, incompetence, and instability make for a perfect
8am: In their efforts to spread their ideology among the Pashtuns, the Taliban have killed many tribal leaders and intellectual youths. During the republic era, the National Security Council published a book titled “Thousands of Crimes”, documenting the Taliban’s killing of tribal leaders and intellectual youths, most notably in Kandahar. It is evident that if
“Whoever controls the media, controls the mind.” – Jim Morrison Michael Hughes: The Taliban movement began implementing yet another round of antediluvian measures for the sole purpose of ensuring its grip on power, this time a ban on airing or publishing images of “living beings.” It is of course important to underscore that most of
8am: The fall of Afghanistan to the extremist Taliban was a catastrophe that shattered the dreams and hopes of its people overnight. This group’s rise didn’t just bring suffering to women and girls; it unleashed destruction on the entire population, even impacting the soil and climate of Afghanistan. When asked how the past three years
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.