On December 30th, 2024, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s Interior Minister and leader of the Haqqani Network, held meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Kabul, Zhao Xing, to discuss the strategic importance of the Wakhan Corridor and the potential for increased trade. Amidst reports of clashes along the Durand Line between Taliban and Pakistani forces, and More
A couple of years ago, I was sitting in our office, Koti Sangi in the west of Kabul when, during a roundtable discussion, someone kiddingly asked, “How’s the highway construction going?” Saleem Parwani 55, our staff driver, chuckled and replied, “Well, we’re running low on donkeys too.” Intrigued, I asked, “Why is that?” His response More
Contents Is “non-violence” the right way to get your rights? Introduction Ethical-Philosophical Foundations of Nonviolence Immanuel Kant’s Deontology or the School of Moral Responsibilities John Stuart Mill’s Utilitarianism or Philosophy Based on Consequences Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics Why Should Violence Be Rejected? Destruction and Loss of Life. Loss of Ethical Support and Legitimacy. Strengthening Tyranny. Weakening More
Humayoon Babur Without legitimacy, unity, or the backing of the Afghan people, the concept of an exiled government is little more than an illusion—set to become another whisper lost in the tumult of Afghanistan’s complex and troubled political reality. Sher Shah (name changed for security reasons), a resident of Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh Province, is one More
In the heart of Kunduz Province, a once-proud black horse named “Amada”—Dari for “Ready”—symbolized hope and resilience for its owner, Ali Reza. For Reza, a 55-year-old former Buzkashi player, Amada was more than just a companion; he was his partner in the game that is the soul of Afghanistan. But as artillery shells rained down More
Recent reports on an emerging drug kingpin-converted mining tycoon becoming Beijing’s man in Kabul reveal a chain reaction of corruption in Afghanistan’s mining industry. However, how the Chinese operate in the mining industry in Afghanistan remains unknown. Based on open-source research, intensive interviews, and frequent field work, this article uncovers the secret operation of Chinese More
The term Greater Middle East emerged through the political literatures of Washingtonians since 2004 which include the Arab World, MENA, East Africa, some parts of Central Asia, and even Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Iran. The larger scope of Middle east as discussed comprises strongest military powers and colossus economies such as Turkey, UAE, Qatar, Saudi More
Germany is today, after Pakistan and Iran, the country with the highest proportion of Afghan migrants and refugees in relation to the number of Afghans living in exile. In a for seeable future, there will soon be around 500,000 Afghans living in Germany. Considerably more than the approximately 300,000 who lived there before 2015. A More
Imagine living under the constant threat of droughts, floods, extreme temperatures, and land degradation. Threats that loom over livelihood, food security, and well-being. How would you cope if climate disasters forced you to abandon your job, and your home, every year? This is the harsh reality for millions of Afghans, who are among the populations most vulnerable More
The ultimate geostrategic triumph of the current violence in the Middle East belongs to Iran. Iran could, potentially, achieve their strategic goal of becoming an ally of the US as well as the most important power in West Asia by benefiting from lessons taught by history, utilizing its powers of violence through their proxies, diplomacy More
