THE LONG WAR
Russia has been courting the Taliban at least since 2014 with money and weapons, ostensibly to fight ISIS, certainly to undermine the American effort in Afghanistan.
Sami Yousafzai is The Daily Beast's correspondent in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he has covered militancy, al Qaeda, and the Taliban for Newsweek magazine and The Daily Beast since 9/11. He was born in Afghanistan but moved to Pakistan with his family after the Russian invasion in 1979. He began his career as a sports journalist but switched to war reporting in 1997.
OPTICS ILLUSIONS
How could Trump snatch a declaration of victory from the jaws of de facto defeat in the Taliban peace deal? That was the question.
exclusive
THE 10 MILLION
The Taliban know how badly Trump wants out of Afghanistan, and they are taking full advantage.
THIS IS THE WAY THE WAR ENDS
Do the Taliban really want peace? The answer may well be yes, but probably not as much as the Americans want out.
ENDLESS WAR
Both sides are edging toward a serious dialogue. Their visions are far apart—but both know that ISIS is waging its own war of terror in Afghanistan, and it threatens everyone.
DANGER ZONE
This week alone, the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul and the offices of Save the Children in Jalalabad came under fire. Dozens died, including Americans.
FREE AT LAST
President Trump says his tough policies won the freedom of Coleman, her husband Joshua Boyle, and their three kids. But a lot went on behind the scenes.
THE TALIBAN TAKEAWAY
Trump’s wading into a regional quagmire involving several parties who would like to see the United States not only diminished but humiliated, including China, Russia, and Iran.
DEADLY APPLES AND ORANGES
A former Afghan member of ISIS and a Taliban commander say claims of credit for such an atrocity are almost irrelevant, as long as the U.S.-backed regime is discredited.
Uh-Oh
The Trump administration has not talked much about terror in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but the threat is there, it’s real, and it’s growing.
