Will the new Administration bring new opportunity on Afghanistan?
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION — In April of 2024, I offered some thoughts in The Cipher Brief on a possible way forward in Afghanistan. That […] More
Afghanistan
Taliban 3.0: The Terrorism Threat and a Humanitarian Nightmare
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — The withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan three years ago led to the fall of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul, the […] More
Three Years Later, a ‘Report Card’ for the Taliban
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — Three years ago today, Taliban forces marched into Kabul, as American forces were leaving Afghanistan, and a U.S.-backed government collapsed. The moment […] More
Three Years After Taliban Return, Terrorists Find Safe Haven in Afghanistan
EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — Three years after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban to power, the country has once again become […] More
The Latest
After Afghanistan: Assessing Today’s Threat Landscape
SUBSCRIBER+ VIRTUAL BRIEFING– Wednesday, August 28 at 1p ET with Cipher Brief Experts General Frank McKenzie (Ret.) and Dave Pitts, Former Assistant Director of CIA for […] More
It’s Time To Talk To the Taliban
OPINION — While all eyes are on developments in the Middle East and the situation between Russia and Ukraine – rightfully so – another country […] More
The U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan – and Lessons for Ukraine
OPINION — “I think one of the lessons [of the August 2021 U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan], if you want to call it a lesson, […] More