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The Diplomat  |  Author

Franz J. Marty

Franz J. Marty

Franz J. Marty is a freelance journalist who, between December 2014 and June 2023, lived and worked in Afghanistan. He tweets @franzjmarty

Marty reports on a broad range of topics but focuses on security and military issues in general and violent extremism/terrorism in particular. His past work includes interviews with active insurgents in areas out of government control, an embed with the elite Afghan Commandos during a night operation in a Taliban-held village, as well as unembedded investigative reporting from hostile areas in various parts of Afghanistan.

In addition to The Diplomat, his articles have been published by, among others, Foreign Policy, The Afghanistan Analysts Network, Popular Front, TRAC (Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium), IHS Jane’s, and the Neue Zürcher Zeitung. He has also contributed to live programs on TV channels such as CNN and France 24 as well as radio stations like BBC World Service and RFI.

Before his work as a journalist in Afghanistan, Franz J. Marty intensively traveled in Central Asia, Iran, the Middle East, and Russia. He is fluent in German, English, French, and Persian (Tajiki/Dari/Farsi) and also speaks some Russian.

Posts by Franz J. Marty
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August 10, 2020

The Taliban Say They Have No Foreign Fighters. Is That True?

By Franz J. Marty
The Taliban denial of the presence of foreign fighters in Afghanistan raises questions about the implementation of the U.S.-Taliban deal.
June 13, 2019

Waigal, Afghanistan: ‘This War Will Never End Here’

By Franz J. Marty
In Afghanistan’s “Land of Light,” the Taliban-government war is as much personal blood feud as political conflict.

May 14, 2019

The Peculiar Presence of the Islamic State in Kunar

By Franz J. Marty
An opaque offshoot of the self-declared Islamic State in one Afghan province displaced thousands of civilians.

October 21, 2018

Afghan Parliamentary Elections Marred by Technical Troubles and Insecurity

By Franz J. Marty
Despite security risks and technical difficulties, Afghanistan goes to the polls.

September 26, 2018

The Last 2 Sikhs in the Taliban’s Heartland

By Franz J. Marty
A religious minority that has weathered many episodes of Afghanistan’s turbulent history may soon disappear.
April 09, 2018

Afghan-Pakistani Cross-Border Terrorism Cuts Both Ways

By Franz J. Marty
Exploring on-the-ground reports of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan presence in Afghanistan.

January 02, 2018

What Living in Kabul Is Really Like

By Franz J. Marty
Afghanistan's capital is not even half as dangerous as everyone thinks.
July 19, 2017

Afghanistan’s Opium Trade: A Free Market of Racketeers

By Franz J. Marty
A visit to Afghan opium fields challenges the notion that the Taliban controls the lucrative trade.

April 25, 2017

Afghan Jihad Frozen in Time?

By Franz J. Marty
A visit to Hezb-i Islami in the field

March 28, 2017

The Taliban’s New Plan for Capturing Kunduz

By Franz J. Marty
The Taliban seem determined to upgrade their strategy from 2016, posing a continued threat to provincial capitals.

September 15, 2016

Afghanistan’s Anti-Taliban Vigilantes: Blessing or Curse?

By Franz J. Marty
When locals take their defense into their own hands, what does that mean for Afghanistan's central government?
July 28, 2016

Speaking to an Afghan Disciple of the Caliphate

By Franz J. Marty
An interview with a commander of the self-declared Islamic State in Afghanistan

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