Leaving Afghanistan
What happens after the forever war ends?
The Year Kabul Fell Again
A stunning Taliban takeover left Afghanistan—and the world—transformed.
Why the Taliban Still Love Suicide Bombing
The group is normalizing death and despair in the Islamic Emirate.
U.N., World Bank Under Pressure to Offer Aid to Afghanistan
The existing sanctions regime on Taliban leaders makes it hard for the world to help the Afghan people.
Afghan Refugees Get Cold Welcome in Pakistan
The Taliban takeover has pushed many Afghans over the border and into another kind of limbo.
Taliban takeover
Taliban Splintered by Internal Divisions, External Spoilers
Pakistan said to be supporting alternative jihadi groups to undermine the Taliban and maintain leverage over Afghanistan.
12 Million Angry Men
The Taliban promised justice. They are hard-pressed to provide it.
The Taliban Don’t Need the West
Afghanistan’s new rulers have shown themselves to be skilled—and ruthless—diplomats. 
The Taliban’s Sharia Is the Most Brutal of All
The Afghan government is imposing punishments that have no comparison elsewhere in the Islamic world.
Regional dynamics
Qatari Diplomat: ‘There’s a Serious Need for Engagement’ With the Taliban
Qatar’s assistant foreign minister discussed the Taliban, the need for a clear road map, and Afghanistan’s uncertain future.
Afghanistan Is No Treasure Trove for China
The country’s mineral wealth remains largely theoretical.
Afghanistan Is a Bigger Headache for Tehran Than It Is Letting On
Iran cheered the U.S. withdrawal but is nervously hedging its bets with the Taliban.
Pakistan’s Friendship With the Taliban Is Changing
Expect a recalibration of the relationship by both sides now the Taliban are in power.
Refugee crisis
Will Afghan Refugees Stranded in Southeast Asia Be Resettled?
After the fall of Kabul, some countries are opening their doors. Afghans who have been stuck in Malaysia and Indonesia for years are hoping that they will not be forgotten.
The United States Needs an Afghan Refugee Resettlement Act
Legislation passed in the wake of the Vietnam War could provide a blueprint for today’s policymakers.
Biden Sparked a Refugee Crisis. He Must Help Europe Bear the Cost.
The chaotic U.S. withdrawal has already led thousands of Afghans to flee.
How to Avoid Humanitarian Catastrophe in Afghanistan
The Biden administration should maximize diplomacy and prioritize support for front-line organizations.
Women in Afghanistan
School’s Out in the Taliban’s Afghanistan
The Taliban say modern education is of no use as the country heads toward economic meltdown and starvation.
The Tragic Fate of Afghanistan’s Journalists
Many are fleeing or in hiding. Women, some locked out of their outlets, are in particular danger.
‘They Left Us to the Taliban’
Six Afghan women describe their feelings of fear, anger, and betrayal in the wake of America’s departure.
In Taliban’s New Afghan Emirate, Women Are Invisible
“All the women of Afghanistan have one fear, the Taliban,” said former deputy defense minister Munera Yousufzada.
Latest Stories
Inside Washington’s Fight to Save Afghans Who Saved Americans
Afghan interpreters were promised U.S. visas. Now, red tape may cost them their lives.
Afghan Women’s Problems Don’t End With the Taliban
A new U.S. intelligence assessment suggests women’s rights in Afghanistan face threats even without a Taliban takeover.
America, the Afghan Tragedy, and the Subcontinent
Four decades of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan have left South Asia transformed—and on the cusp of a realignment.
Afghanistan Can’t Achieve Stability Without Women
To reach a gender-conscious peace deal with the Taliban, Afghan negotiators need more time—and U.S. support.
What Biden Should Learn From Indochina
France’s withdrawal shows sometimes the costs of maintaining the status quo are higher than the costs of a drastic policy change.
Leaving Afghanistan Will Be More Expensive Than Anyone Expects
Penalties for broken contracts, fees for shipping equipment, and salaries for the Afghan military are just a few of the costs that will hit the United States as it leaves.
When Afghanistan Almost Worked
Five decades ago, before the great powers intervened, Afghanistan was on a much better path than today. But the longed-for “decade of democracy” was soon shattered.
Afghan Ambassador: ‘The Ball Is in the Taliban’s Court’
Roya Rahmani says the Taliban have no justification for continuing their war after the departure of international troops.
The U.S. Never Can Say Goodbye to Afghanistan
The Pentagon is going to need more firepower to pull out U.S. troops.
Afghanistan Shows the Limits of India’s Power
With the United States departing, New Delhi is seeking new ways to project influence.
‘The Taliban Have Tracked Me’
In Logar province, just outside of Kabul, fear of a Taliban takeover rises.
Afghans Don’t Need U.S. Troops. They Need Islands of Stability.
Here’s how the Biden administration can prevent chaos in Afghanistan, even after it withdraws.
‘Bring the Troops Home’ Is a Dream, Not a Strategy
A full withdrawal from Afghanistan is a costly blunder and failure of leadership.
Afghans Haven’t Forgotten Taliban Atrocities
The United States’ withdrawal may be a balm domestically. It’s anything but for those that lived through the horror.
From Moral Responsibility to Magical Thinking: How Biden Changed His Mind on Afghanistan
After 9/11, Biden embraced the idea that U.S. troops should leave the country better than how they found it. Now, as president, he’s withdrawing them regardless.
Biden Just Made a Historic Break With the Logic of Forever War
But will he really end the United States’ other open-ended conflicts?