Examining the historical and geopolitical factors driving increased extremism in Pakistan.

Conventional assessments of the Pashtunwali social code and the history of the Pashtun region tend to overlook the geopolitical and colonial factors that fueled the rise of terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Those advocating for Taliban recognition must consider the ongoing renaissance of al-Qaeda, a process that is being actively facilitated by the regime.

The latest UN General Assembly shed some light on one of the few humanitarian organizations still operating in Afghanistan.

The recent Zawahiri killing highlights how hard it is for Washington to completely quit the region.

Ten months in, the Taliban consolidates its rule while normal Afghans try to survive amid economic devastation.

The Taliban is systematically curtailing the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, but there are policy options available to the international community.

The geopolitical context has changed between 2001 and 2021, and thus we should expect a different foreign policy from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Three geoeconomic factors will determine the future of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan: opium, natural resources, and regional trade networks.

Various geopolitical pressures are set to produce a more moderate Taliban regime in the short-term – but sharia remains a red line.