The Diplomat | Author

Franz J. Marty
Franz J. Marty is a freelance journalist based in Afghanistan; he tweets @franzjmarty
Franz J. Marty has been living and working in Afghanistan since December 2014. He 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.

May 14, 2019
The Peculiar Presence of the Islamic State in Kunar
By Franz J. Marty

October 21, 2018
Afghan Parliamentary Elections Marred by Technical Troubles and Insecurity
By Franz J. Marty

September 26, 2018
The Last 2 Sikhs in the Taliban’s Heartland
By Franz J. Marty

April 09, 2018
Afghan-Pakistani Cross-Border Terrorism Cuts Both Ways
By Franz J. Marty

January 02, 2018
What Living in Kabul Is Really Like
By Franz J. Marty

July 19, 2017
Afghanistan’s Opium Trade: A Free Market of Racketeers
By Franz J. Marty

April 25, 2017
Afghan Jihad Frozen in Time?
By Franz J. Marty

March 28, 2017
The Taliban’s New Plan for Capturing Kunduz
By Franz J. Marty

September 15, 2016
Afghanistan’s Anti-Taliban Vigilantes: Blessing or Curse?
By Franz J. Marty

July 28, 2016
Speaking to an Afghan Disciple of the Caliphate
By Franz J. Marty
