By Ray Furlong and RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi September 10, 2026 A visit to Afghanistan by a former US special envoy that included meetings with senior Taliban officials and a major oil and gas deal has touched a raw nerve on the eve of the 25th anniversary of 9/11. Zalmay Khalilzad, US special envoy to Afghanistan
By Ray Furlong and Daud Khattak Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 8, 2026 Twenty-five years after serving as the global launchpad for the 9/11 attacks, Afghanistan has come “full circle” — with the Taliban retaking power after a 20-year US-led military presence and Al-Qaeda operatives again finding safe haven in the country. So far, this
8am: Local sources in Badakhshan report the continued detention of individuals close to Juma Khan Fateh, house-to-house searches, and the confiscation of hundreds of weapons and ammunition boxes by Taliban special forces. According to the sources, restrictions on mining activities have simultaneously increased in some districts, and local Taliban members are set to be replaced
Afghanistan International: The National Resistance Front and Afghanistan Freedom Front have called for a common platform among political, civil and armed groups opposing the Taliban, as Cambridge talks seek to bridge key differences. The fifth round of the “Cambridge Afghanistan Series” was held on Friday, 4 September, in Cambridge, Britain, bringing together dozens of political
Afghanistan International: Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Hezb-e Islami, has urged members and supporters of his party to cut ties with those who support the Taliban. He said anyone who has joined the Taliban administration or other groups should sever links with Hezb-e Islami. In a message addressed to all sincere and committed members of Hezb-e
8am: Over the past five years, the United States has repeatedly stated that it does not recognize the Taliban regime in its current form and structure, and that establishing ties with the group, even on a limited scale, is not on its agenda. The Taliban, on the other hand, are eager for friendship with the
8am: These days, debate over whether “the war in Afghanistan is an ethnic war” has intensified. On social media, this debate is sometimes accompanied by strong emotions and sharp reactions, to the point that a political or military event is quickly attributed to a single ethnic group, and responsibility for the behavior of individuals or
8am: In other words, the Taliban have serious weaknesses, but their opponents lack the capacity to exploit them. The Taliban fear every internal uprising, yet their opponents cannot transform these uprisings into a coordinated national movement. The Taliban are unpopular in the north, yet their opponents have failed to convert that discontent into lasting popular
Afghanistan International: Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman says the Afghan Taliban could be considered an Indian proxy if it does not act in its own interests and instead serves what Islamabad describes as India’s efforts to destabilise Pakistan. Tahir Andrabi, spokesman for Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, said at a press briefing on Thursday, 27 August, that if
Amu: Aisha Wahab, an Afghan American member-elect of Congress, says the United States should pursue diplomacy and maintain a relationship with Afghanistan “regardless of which group is in power,” while criticizing restrictions on women and girls under Taliban rule. She also said Afghanistan needs other allies and criticized what she described as “warlord groups” seeking