This episode of the GW WonkCast features guest Hakim Jan, an independent researcher from Afghanistan. Jan has a background in political science and national security studies and as a Fulbright scholar, he focuses on transnational security issues at Trachtenberg. All views expressed are his own.

Jan joins the team to discuss U.S. and Afghanistan policy 16 years after the conflict began. Listen to hear a primer on how U.S. policy toward Afghanistan evolved, including changes from the Trump administration, paired with a discussion of the impact of Pakistan and India, insurgent actors, and opium and eradication programs. Jan gives a picture of life on the ground in Afghanistan right now and the impact of prolonged conflict.

Eli Richman moderates with co-Hosts Adam Brooks and Katherine Lundie.

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For more information from the Below the Fold segment, see the links below listed with who presented the topic:

Katherine Lundie: Feinstein faces growing storm on the left, Politico

Eli Richman: Trump Administration Declares Opioid Crisis A Public Health Emergency, NPR

Adam Brooks: Tillerson in Kabul? Two Photos Lead to Many Questions, New York Times

Jan references the following article:

Azamy, Hekmatullah. (2017, July). Afghanistan: an asset or liability for central Asian neighbors?. Central Asia Institute for Strategic Studies (CAISS). 67. (Accessed at http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/kasachstan/13545.pdf on 11/7/17.)

A highlighted quote from the piece:

“In September 2015, when the Taliban captured Kunduz city in the north of Afghanistan, the group published a statement assuring Central Asia that they would not pose anythreat to Afghanistan’s neighbors. The next month, reports surfaced that Russians met in Tajikistan to strengthen relations against Daesh. Recently, the Russian special envoy for Afghanistan also confirmed the establishment of contacts with the Taliban” (Azamy, P. 67).