How the Taliban Won

On the podcast: Former Pakistani Ambassador Husain Haqqani on America’s endgame in Afghanistan.

By , the executive editor for podcasts at Foreign Policy.
Afghan Taliban militants and residents stand on an armored vehicle
Afghan Taliban militants and residents stand on an armored vehicle
Afghan Taliban militants and residents stand on an armored vehicle of the Afghan National Army in Maiwand district of Kandahar province on June 17, 2018. Javed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images

The U.S. framework agreement with the Taliban to end the Afghanistan War could pave the way for the Islamist group’s return to power in Kabul. How the group managed to outlast U.S. forces for more than 17 years and effectively win the war is a more a political story than a military one—and it centers on the Taliban’s relationship with Pakistan.

The U.S. framework agreement with the Taliban to end the Afghanistan War could pave the way for the Islamist group’s return to power in Kabul. How the group managed to outlast U.S. forces for more than 17 years and effectively win the war is a more a political story than a military one—and it centers on the Taliban’s relationship with Pakistan.

Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistani ambassador to Washington, tells that story on First Person this week.

 

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