Twenty-five years after 9/11, the greatest peril comes not from bedroom-radicalized terrorists, but from populist world leaders wielding atomic arsenals.
Browsing: Afghanistan
Five years after withdrawal, the Afghanistan reckoning exposes how exaggerated terror fears trapped America in a costly war that ended in Taliban victory.
Multiple concurrent wars have systematically dismantled every alternative trade corridor, leaving Central Asia with no viable option except Russia’s war-torn Northern Route.
Iran war cuts Afghanistan’s Chabahar trade route. Pakistan border already closed. Famine looms as aid funding collapses and migrants flee.
The U.S. must view Iran through a Southwest Asian lens to manage nuclear proliferation and counter Chinese regional influence.
ISIS views the war as divinely sanctioned. Two US attacks since conflict began. Prison breaks and border conflicts enable territorial gains.
Trump’s demand to reclaim Bagram airbase is unlikely to succeed; China is deeply entrenched and the Taliban cites the Doha Agreement.
U.S. cuts to humanitarian aid and refugee programs are devastating Afghans, abandoning allies and millions dependent on American assistance for survival.
The Taliban seeks to position Afghanistan as a transit hub linking South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Projects like the Herat–Mazar-i-Sharif railway aim to attract investment and lessen Kabul’s vulnerability to Pakistani political and economic pressure.
Washington’s repeated betrayals, whether of the Kurds who fought ISIS or of Taiwan in 1978, demonstrate that American alliances are no longer durable. This erodes trust and encourages global partners to seek alternatives, weakening U.S. influence long‑term.