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
Afghanistan’s Hazaras Get Mixed Messages From the Taliban
The Islamic State-Khorasan has come to represent a greater threat to the persecuted minority.
U.N. Return to Afghanistan: ‘This Is Completely Insane’
A month ago, the United Nations was pulling its staff out of Afghanistan. Now, it’s headed back in to avert a major humanitarian crisis.
The CIA Secretly Evacuated Most of Its Spies From Afghanistan
The agency has a long history of extracting people from danger zones.
Now America Must Help the Millions of Afghans It Left Behind
Engaging with a Taliban government will be painful. Washington will have to do it anyway.
Macron Uses Biden’s Afghan Retreat to Push ‘Strategic Autonomy’
But doubts remain whether he can cut his own path in the Middle East.
China, Russia Look to Outflank U.S. in Afghanistan
Meanwhile, Pakistan urges Washington to pump the breaks on sanctioning the Taliban.
Afghanistan Was a Ponzi Scheme Sold to the American Public
When a scam falls apart, it collapses fast.
Deadly U.S. Strike Raises Questions Over Collateral Damage in Afghanistan
Many former officials expect U.S. intelligence to dry up.
Biden’s Conundrum: How to Pressure the Taliban Without Hurting Afghans
After 20 years of building up Afghanistan, can the United States really cut the country off now?
America Isn’t Exceptional Anymore
The United States can no longer claim to be the leader of the free world if it abandons strategic allies and vulnerable civilians.
U.S. Troop Pullout Sparks New Urgency for Afghan Evacuations
There’s little expectation the Taliban will make it easy to leave.
The CIA Is Better Than the U.S. Military at Creating Foreign Armies
The failure of the Afghan army is a reminder that Pentagon-led security cooperation programs are more expensive and less effective than those led by spies.
Can the West Make the Taliban Moderate?
The United States has leverage over the new Afghan government. Here’s how to use it.
The Taliban Can’t Control Afghanistan. That Should Worry the West.
The risk of a terrorist resurgence comes primarily from the Taliban’s Islamic State rivals.
Last U.S. Troops Leave Afghanistan After 20 Years of War
More than a hundred American citizens remain in the Taliban-controlled country.
What Diversity Means for the Taliban
The new Afghan government will likely include ethnicities other than the Taliban’s own. But women are probably out of luck.