Kabul
Empowering Afghan Women
I knew how lucky I was to have other options, to be able to make the choice to leave a war without being a refugee. I had been given a Special Immigrant Visa for the U.S. and left Afghanistan in 2016, still haunted by guilt. I studied at college in Virginia. I wanted to pursue a career in education that would one day help me make more substantial changes in Afghanistan. I went on to study at Georgetown and Columbia universities and continued to tell myself that all of this was in aid of my life’s mission to work for, and with, Afghan women. But who knows when I will be able to return to Herat or Kabul now?
The Failure of Nonviolence in Afghanistan
“Letter from Kabul” is a newsletter in which our contributors provide their own unique glimpses into life on the ground in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.To read them first, sign up to our…
The Shame of Afghan Sanctions
While the aim of the U.S. and its allies may be to put pressure on the Taliban, I am not a Talib. Nor are the people who rely on me to feed their families and pay their bills. When Joe Biden agreed to allocate half of the $7 billion America holds in Afghan state assets to the relatives of 9/11 victims last month, he overlooked something important: There were no Afghans on those planes.
The Long War of a Taliban Family
Jihad has long been a family tradition in households across Afghanistan; it’s a rite of passage that has little to do with international terrorism and everything to do with honor and a very particular sense of justice.
The Mysterious Public Appearances of the Taliban’s Supreme Leader
This “Letter from Kabul” is part of a new offering by New Lines. Our contributors provide their own unique glimpses into life on the ground in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Today’s segment looks at two rare public appearances by the Taliban’s supreme leader. To read them first, sign up to our newsletter.…
In the Afghan Capital, the Economic Desperation Is Palpable
Acts of quiet desperation are a feature of daily life here in Kabul this winter. Although they may not grab the headlines like the suicide bombings of the Islamic State group or the latest proclamations of the Taliban, they too are expressions of a certain kind of politics.
Despite Turkey’s Tough Stance, Afghan Refugees Flood In
People smuggling is big business. According to government officials in Van province, 1,262 smugglers have been arrested in the area this year, the majority of them from Turkey. Now there are fears that the situation for Afghan migrants is nearing a tipping point that will make it harder and more dangerous for new arrivals hoping to get to Europe.