Afghanistan

Kabul’s fall to the Taliban is more the result of the Afghan government’s ineptitude and corruption than the Taliban’s strength.

The Taliban now control more than two-thirds of the countryside, and a third of provincial capitals.

The situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate.

As the Taliban swiftly capture territory in Afghanistan, many Afghans blame Pakistan for the insurgents' success.

After a 20-year Western military mission and billions of dollars spent training and shoring up Afghan forces, many are at odds to explain that collapse.

The answer is less clear now, in 2021, than it was in 1996. 

In the span of three days, at least four provincial capitals in Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, with the strategically significant city of Kunduz on the brink.

Dispelling these myths becomes especially important as the current conflict appears to be entering a critical new phase.

The assassination took place during weekly Friday prayers.

What lies ahead for Afghanistan as the United States withdraws and fighting between the Taliban and the government intensifies?

Focusing on trade networks, Afghanistan’s neighbors hope to forge regional stability in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Taliban forces close in on a district center in the north.