Country
Afghanistan
Evaluating the Taliban’s Economic Policies
By Gul Maqsood Sabit
The Taliban’s interim government has boasted about its economic success, but few Afghans are feeling a positive impact.
The Plight of Afghan Women Under the Taliban: No Respite in Sight
By Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
The Taliban are unleashing a legal onslaught to implement their vision for the country – for men, by men, and of men.
Uzbekistan’s Approach to Afghanistan in the Context of Strengthening Regional Security
By Nargiza Umarova
Given the implications for security and stability, Central Asian countries must develop a common, coordinated approach to Afghanistan. Uzbekistan is seeking to lead the way.
How 9/11 Changed – and Didn’t Change – Afghanistan
By Freshta Jalalzai
The terror attacks on September 11, 2001, seemingly changed the trajectory of Afghanistan’s history. But today, the country in many ways is back to the status quo ante – except for the thousands of lives lost to war.
The Complex Legacy of Ahmad Shah Massoud
By Freshta Jalalzai
Two days before the 9/11 attacks, Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated in Afghanistan. His legacy is woven with threads of both reverence and controversy.
Virtue and Vice Law Further Affirms Taliban’s Power in Afghanistan
By Muhammad Murad
With the new virtue and vice law, the Taliban are on track to take the country back to the norms of their late 1990s rule.
US Transferring Afghan Aircraft to Uzbek Control
By Catherine Putz
The ultimate fate of the 46 Afghan aircraft that fled the country and landed in Uzbekistan as the Republic collapsed in 2021 isn’t surprising, but the Taliban remain steadfast in opposition.
Outgoing EU Diplomat Raffaella Iodice Reflects on Her Time in Afghanistan
By Freshta Jalalzai
Iodice stood by the girls and women of Afghanistan when nearly everyone else had left, a commitment that deeply resonated with many in the war-torn nation.
Afghanistan Under the Taliban: 3 Years On
By Ankit Panda and Catherine Putz
How have states chosen to engage the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan three years later?
The Friction and Compulsions in Iran-Taliban Relations
By Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
Despite tension, the underlying mutual dependencies between Iran and the Taliban, and the evolving geopolitics in the region, have forced the two sides to avoid crossing red lines.
3 Years on: The Cost of Taliban Rule
By Heela Najibullah
Peace in Afghanistan cannot be reached if the international community endorses a militant group that promotes a culture of impunity and speaks a language of violence.
Uzbekistan Forges Ahead, Deepening Relations With Taliban-ruled Afghanistan
By Catherine Putz
Amid a recent visit by Uzbekistan’s prime ministers, the two sides signed $2.5 billion in trade and investment deals.
Philippines to Host a US Visa Processing Center for up to 300 Afghans Resettling in America
By Jim Gomez
The Philippines will temporarily host Afghans stuck in the lengthy approval process for a special immigrant visa to the United States.
From Doha Accord to Doha Process: Why the International Community Fails to Bring Peace to Afghanistan
By Muhammad Murad
The U.S. and the global community have repeatedly failed to recognize that engaging with the Taliban alone will not bear fruitful results.
‘No to the Taliban!’ Afghans Gather in Washington to Demand Action
By Catherine Putz
Three years after the Taliban returned to power, the Afghan diaspora in the Washington, D.C. area demonstrated outside the White House calling for concrete action.
3 Years on: The Afghan Women Relentlessly Resisting the Taliban
By Humaira Rahbin
While we can and should mark the atrocities against women and girls under Taliban rule, we should also recognize and cheer their resistance.
3 Afghans Face Different Fates After the Taliban Takeover
By Freshta Jalalzai
For some, Taliban rule means a life in hiding. For others, it brought a long-awaited homecoming. Still others are just hoping for a lasting peace.
Afghanistan: A Nation Deprived, a Future Denied
By Coco Ree
Three years after the Taliban's return to power, Afghanistan seems condemned to a bleak future – but inside the country, girls still dream of better times.
Taliban Redux: Afghanistan 3 Years After the Fall of Kabul
By Tushar Shetty
Zahra Joya and Shanthie D’Souza unpack the Taliban regime, its suppression of women and minorities, and the wider consequences of its rule on global terror and geopolitics.
The Growing Rift Between Islamic State Khorasan Province and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
By Muhammad Imad Abbas
The two South Asian jihadist groups, both prominent in their extremist ideologies and territorial ambitions, have increasingly found themselves at odds.
Afghanistan’s Lithium: Sovereignty vs. Foreign Exploitation
By Hamayun Khan
For sustainable growth, Afghanistan must maintain control over its resources while seeking investments that promote local development.
How Taliban Rule Has Reshaped Higher Education in Afghanistan
By Abdul Aziz Mohibbi and Noah Coburn
Taliban policies toward higher education are not just about separating men and women, but about remaking Afghan society.
Chinese Dam Construction In Afghanistan: Implications for Pakistan
By Aarish U. Khan
Pakistan has long been concerned about dams on transboundary rivers in Afghanistan, but China’s involvement creates an opportunity for regional cooperation.
The Killing of Dawa Khan Menapal and the Fall of Afghanistan’s Republic
By Freshta Jalalzai
In August 2021, a brutal assassination prefigured the fall of the Republic and the Taliban’s return to power.