Every night, dozens gather at the hillside to watch airstrikes rain down on the city’s southern suburbs. The ritual offers a window into the war — and proof that the once unimaginable is really happening.
Author: Christina Goldbaum
What We Learned Talking to the Taliban’s Most Fearsome Leader
Sirajuddin Haqqani, who has a $10 million American bounty on his head, is now positioning himself as a figure of relative moderation.
World Opens to the Taliban Despite Their Shredding of Women’s Rights
Taliban officials have scored a series of diplomatic victories this year that have started a subtle shift toward normalizing their government.
Is Afghanistan’s Most-Wanted Militant Now Its Best Hope for Change?
Sirajuddin Haqqani has tried to remake himself from blood-soaked jihadist to pragmatic Taliban statesman. Western diplomats are shocked — and enticed.
Taliban Talks With U.N. Go On Despite Alarm Over Exclusion of Women
The meeting is the first between the Taliban and a United Nations-led conference of global envoys who are seeking to engage the Afghan government on critical issues.
Taliban Talks With U.N. Go On Despite Alarm Over Exclusion of Women
The meeting is the first between the Taliban and a United Nations-led conference of global envoys who are seeking to engage the Afghan government on critical issues.
Are Those Mimes Spying on Us? In Pakistan, It’s Not a Strange Question.
Pakistanis suspect the national intelligence agencies of being behind practically everything — even street performers working for tips in Islamabad.
ISIS-K, Group Tied to Moscow Attack, Has Grown Bolder and More Violent
The militant group violently opposes the Taliban leaders of Afghanistan, where it is based. It is increasingly targeting foreign foes.
ISIS-K, Blamed in Moscow Attack, Has Hit at Taliban’s Russia Links
Islamic State Khorasan, or ISIS-K, previously attacked Russia’s embassy in Kabul and has produced floods of anti-Kremlin propaganda.
An Election Shatters the Image of Pakistan’s Mightiest Force
Pakistanis once thought of the military as the iron hand controlling the country’s politics. That illusion has been broken, creating one of the establishment’s biggest crises yet.