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Taliban

A Fragile Truce at the Durand Line: Will the Afghanistan–Pakistan Ceasefire Last?

A Fragile Truce at the Durand Line: Will the Afghanistan–Pakistan Ceasefire Last?

OPINION — One of the most enduring security issues in South Asia has been rekindled by the recent border conflicts between the Taliban-led [...] More

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Why Al Qaeda Refuses to Die

Why Al Qaeda Refuses to Die

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 [...] More

From Kabul to Kyiv: Lessons the U.S. Must Heed for Peace

OPINION — Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, I’ve found the familiar rhetoric supporting Ukraine’s right to self-defense against Russian [...] More

Afghanistan's Tale of Two Extremist Movements

OPINION — There has been considerable comparison between the Taliban and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as both groups originated from extremist [...] More

How Far Might a U.S.-Taliban Engagement Go?

How Far Might a U.S.-Taliban Engagement Go?

EXPERT INTERVIEWS — The Taliban government in Afghanistan enjoys no formal recognition from the rest of the world, thanks largely to a poor human [...] More

Taliban’s Internal Power Struggle: A Regime on the Brink

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 [...] More

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

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 [...] 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 [...] 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 needs [...] More

Pakistan’s Election Stunner - and the Dangers Ahead 

Pakistan’s Election Stunner - and the Dangers Ahead 

SUBSCRIBER+EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – It was a stunning result that few saw coming: a clear victory at the polls for Pakistan’s jailed ex-Prime Minister [...] More

The U.S. is still sending money for Afghanistan. What's the Strategy?

OPINION — “Billions in U.S. assistance continue to flow to Afghanistan to address its ongoing humanitarian and economic emergencies. With the removal [...] More

Terrorist Groups are Again Thriving in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan

OPINION — Last month, the U.S. Central Command said it conducted 20 joint operations in Iraq and 11 in Syria, killing five Islamic State operatives [...] More