OPINION — There has been an argument suggesting that the international community—particularly the United States—should engage with the Taliban to [...]
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OPINION — There has been an argument suggesting that the international community—particularly the United States—should engage with the Taliban to [...]
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OPINION — In 2016, I sat across the table from China’s Director of Operations for the Ministry of State Security (MSS). Their visit to Kabul was [...]
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OPINION — In 2016, I sat across the table from China’s Director of Operations for the Ministry of State Security (MSS). Their visit to Kabul was [...]
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OPINION — In recent weeks, reports of Russia considering formal engagement and recognition of the Taliban have reignited debate around international [...]
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DEEP DIVE — More than two decades after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Al Qaeda is not only alive — it has adapted, expanded, and quietly embedded [...]
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OPINION — Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, I’ve found the familiar rhetoric supporting Ukraine’s right to self-defense against Russian [...]
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OPINION — There has been considerable comparison between the Taliban and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as both groups originated from extremist [...]
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EXPERT INTERVIEWS — The Taliban government in Afghanistan enjoys no formal recognition from the rest of the world, thanks largely to a poor human [...]
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OPINION — A few months ago, I received an unexpected message from a well-placed source within the Taliban. That message led to a series of secured [...]
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EXPERT PERSPECTIVE / OPINION — In April of 2024, I offered some thoughts in The Cipher Brief on a possible way forward in Afghanistan. That approach [...]
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SPECIAL REPORT — It’s been a very long ride since terrorists sent by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden set out on a fateful mission to deliver terror [...]
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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 [...]
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — Three years ago today, Taliban forces marched into Kabul, as American forces were leaving Afghanistan, and a U.S.-backed [...]
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EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — Three years after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban to power, the country has once again [...]
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SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — The last Afghan head of intelligence before the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan believes terrorist groups have [...]
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