George Wright, BBC News – 23 September 2021 Zahra Fayazi, a former coach for the Afghanistan women’s volleyball team, tells the BBC her fears as her fellow teammates move from province to province in an attempt to escape the Taliban whilst one has already been killed. Zahra states “I can’t see a future for volleyball…
Constanze Stelzenmuller, Brookings – 2 September 2021 “The outcome of the final, but as yet unfinished, act of the West’s intervention in Afghanistan will determine its legitimacy. And what happens now will affect trust between politicians, civil societies, and the armed forces for years to come.” This article on Brookings describes why the aftermath of…
Kirsten Fontenrose, Atlantic Council – 23 September 2021 Kirsten Fontenrose of the Atlantic Council reports on how the three heavyweights in the Gulf, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are responding to the crisis in Afghanistan. This article looks, specifically, at how it will impact their relationship with the U.S. and also their security environment.…
Rashmee Roshan Lall, openDemocracy – 21 September 2021 Donors have pledged more than $1bn in aid support for Afghanistan at the 13 September UN conference in Geneva, convened by secretary-general Antonio Guterres. Despite this large amount of emergency aid, this article on openDemocracy asks “how will Afghanistan continue to operate when neither the government nor…
Chris Byfield, Express – 8 September 2021 William Dalrymple has commented on Tony Blair’s speech marking 20 years since the 9/11 attacks, in which he stated that the U.S.’ unwillingness to have boots on the ground puts the West at risk of terrorist attacks. Dalrymple claims that “in a sense he is the last person…
William Dalrymple, India Today – 8 September 2021 In this interview with India Today, William Dalrymple talks about the crisis in Afghanistan. Dalrymple explains why he doesn’t believe the Taliban have changed from when they last ruled and why they still remain a significantly dangerous and backward force. Watch the full interview here.
Times of India – 12 September 2021 The Times of India reports on William Dalrymple’s reaction to the Taliban’s all-male list of cabinet members. Dalrymple states that “The government is not just not inclusive, it is sort of quite spectacularly ‘uninclusive’ even within the Taliban frame” and claims it’s unlikely that they will continue their…
Dr. Sohail Mahmood – 12 September 2021 On August 30, the war in Afghanistan ended. America had managed to evacuate some 123,000 civilians from Kabul, including 6,000 Americans. The twenty-year war had a high cost. Some 2,461 US soldiers and civilians were killed. On August 26 a terrorist bombing killed 13 soldiers in Kabul. President Biden on August 31, 2021…
Amy Kazmin, Financial Times – 9 September 2021 Upon taking over the city, the Taliban decimated Kabul’s colourful street art which, for many, had provided a cheerful sign of hope during troubled times. In this article on the FT, Amy Kazmin looks at the outlook for arts and culture within the country under Taliban rule.…
