Afghan Government

Daesh in Afghanistan: Challenge and opportunity for the Taliban

The Taliban’s challenge is to root out Daesh's Khorasan wing without sowing the seeds of another long war.

The dynamics of the upcoming battle between the Taliban and Daesh-K

Salafis in Afghanistan dominate Daesh-K, but not all Salafis support them. That could change if the battle becomes a larger battle between Hanafis and Salafis in Afghanistan.

UK, EU want 'to engage' with Taliban without recognising new Afghan govt

Top UK and EU bloc diplomats say engagement with Taliban is meant for "direct line of communication" and their countries will not recognise the movement as new government in Kabul.

Taliban set to name co-founder Mullah Baradar as Afghan govt head – report

Baradar will be joined by Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of late Taliban co-founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, at senior positions in new government, says Reuters news agency, citing Taliban sources.

Taliban on brink of forming new government in Afghanistan

Meanwhile, the United Nations said it had restarted humanitarian flights to parts of the country, linking the Pakistani capital Islamabad with Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan and Kandahar in the south.

Will the Taliban go after Daesh-K in Afghanistan?

The Biden administration says it will hunt down the attackers of the deadly Kabul explosions, but the real question is how the Taliban will react.

Iran calls for 'inclusive' Afghanistan govt, in talks with all stakeholders

Taliban's gains put neighbouring Iran on edge but the majority Shia country "is in constant communication with all political sides in Afghanistan", including the insurgents, in a marked change from when the group was last in power.

Was the US-Taliban deal about throwing the Afghan govt under the bus?

The agreement’s language suggests that the US was prepared to accept the Taliban’s eventual takeover of Afghanistan.

Taliban takeover of Kabul hits Joe Biden's popularity among Americans

US President Joe Biden rated worse than the other three presidents who presided over Washington's longest war as per a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

How international actors laid the groundwork for Taliban rule

The current regional balance of power, in which Russia and China see the Taliban as the lesser of two evils, and a hasty US withdrawal helped the group march across Afghanistan, experts say.

There are no innocent bystanders in the Afghan war

A political and economic intervention by the international community could drive the conflict to a stalemate in favour of the Kabul government, giving it space to create a new strategy.

NATO urges 'negotiated settlement' in Afghanistan amid Taliban challenge

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg describes security situation as "deeply challenging" with most foreign troops already out of the country where insurgents are pushing forward with their sweeping assault.