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Somalia Syndrome
In 1993, the United States launched a series of raids on Mogadishu, Somalia so disastrous and publicly humiliating that they would...
chiefofstaff1
Feb 22, 20234 min read


Taliban Takeover in Afghanistan Leaves Hazaras Uniquely Vulnerable
In recent weeks, #StopHazaraGenocide has raced to the top of social media users’ feeds, drawing upwards of six million tweets. The...
chiefofstaff1
Nov 13, 20225 min read


When US Counterterrorism Means Theft
President Joe Biden issued an executive order on February 11 declaring that he intends to split $7 billion of Afghan money currently held...
chiefofstaff1
May 18, 20225 min read


Afghanistan: Ending an Aimless War
In August 2021, the United States concluded the tumultuous process of withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan—a process that was...
chiefofstaff1
Mar 21, 20225 min read


By Freezing and Seizing Afghan Assets, Biden Cements Himself as the Latest Champion of American Impe
That President Joe Biden was able to complete a successful withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan—despite facing significant...
chiefofstaff1
Feb 25, 20225 min read


Old Alliances, New Challenges: Afghanistan, the US, and the UK
The United States’s withdrawal from Afghanistan earlier this year was one of the most profound foreign policy choices the Biden...
chiefofstaff1
Dec 7, 20215 min read


Biden, COVID, and Congress in 2021: An Interview with Jake Auchincloss
Jake Auchincloss is a freshman congressman representing Massachusetts’ 4th Congressional District. He currently sits on the Committee on...
chiefofstaff1
May 25, 20216 min read


Weaponizing the Veil: How War Wreaked Havoc on Afghan Women
In her 2001 radio address, Laura Bush grieved that “our hearts break for the women and children of Afghanistan.” Bush was joined by...
chiefofstaff1
Nov 9, 20194 min read


The Islamic State and Afghanistan’s Hazaras
Insofar as the defeat of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) merits international delight, its emergence in Afghanistan has...
chiefofstaff1
Jun 11, 20193 min read


A Diplomatic Conundrum: Seeking Peace in Afghanistan
The World Economic Forum this year in Davos, Switzerland, made clear the unfortunate stress that continues to increasingly pressure...
chiefofstaff1
Apr 18, 20196 min read


Nation-Building at Gunpoint: How American Hubris Failed Afghanistan
Heavily guarded by steel-anchored concrete walls, the American embassy in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, symbolizes a striking ground...
chiefofstaff1
Apr 17, 20194 min read


TAPI: Peace or Continued Power Struggles?
The Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline, has been hailed as a “peace pipeline” with the...
chiefofstaff1
Jul 3, 20185 min read


Legalizing Opium: A Shift in the Developmental Paradigm
The legacy of foreign involvement in Afghanistan is both extensive and controversial. Whether referring to Soviet manipulation of the...
chiefofstaff1
Oct 20, 20165 min read


BPR Interviews: John Sopko
John Sopko is Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. He has worked as a prosecutor in Ohio and served in the Senate...
chiefofstaff1
Jan 26, 20164 min read


Now You Teach Me Now You Don’t
Corruption in Afghanistan may not come as much of a surprise, but the country is far from the only one in the developing world afflicted...
chiefofstaff1
Dec 9, 20159 min read


BPR Interviews: Azra Jafari
Azra Jafari served as the first female mayor in Afghanistan, after being appointed mayor of Nili by President Hamid Karzai in 2008. She...
chiefofstaff1
Nov 8, 20157 min read


The Next ISIS Moment: Afghanistan’s Impending Catastrophe
The Kashmir musk deer is a curious creature. Unlike its American brethren, it’s endangered, elusive and adorned with fangs. Scientists...
chiefofstaff1
Nov 10, 20145 min read


Escape from Anarchy: Do the Afghan Elections Offer Hope?
On September 29, the new Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, was sworn in alongside his erstwhile rival, now second-in-command, Abdullah...
chiefofstaff1
Oct 23, 20145 min read


Femme Fatales of Afghanistan and US Ignorance
While 13 years may have passed since September 11, 2001, Islamophobic sentiments in the United States remain as aggravated a problem as...
chiefofstaff1
Oct 19, 20144 min read


Exit America, Enter China: The Promise of Chinese Development in Afghanistan
As U.S. troops withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014, China is poised to act as a stabilizing force in the region, reaping the benefits of...
chiefofstaff1
Dec 15, 20136 min read
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