Taliban are back – what next for Afghanistan? War in Afghanistan (2001-present) Fighting has been going on for 40 years – most Afghans can’t remember a time of peace after 20 years of war, the Taliban has swept to victory in Afghanistan. The group completed their shockingly rapid advance across the country by capturing Kabul … Read more

Soviet Union invades Afghanistan On December 24, 1979, the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan, under the pretext of upholding the Soviet-Afghan Friendship Treaty of 1978. As midnight approached, the Soviets organized a massive military airlift into Kabul, involving an estimated 280 transport aircraft and three divisions of almost 8,500 men each. Within a few days, the … Read more

Do not call Afghans “Arabs” or “Middle Eastern”. Afghanistan is not located in the Middle East. It is a South Central Asian country composed of many different ethnicities, none of which are Arab. What drives Afghanistan’s economy? Afghanistan is one of the world’s poorest countries. Many years of war and political instability have left the … Read more

What does Taliban mean?  English meaning of Afghanistan militant group’s name explained, and how it started The word Taliban means ‘students’ or ‘seekers’ in Pashto, one of the two official languages of Afghanistan By David HughesAugust 23, 2021 3:58 pm(Updated August 23, 2021 4:13 pm)The Taliban’s rapid surge to power in Afghanistan has sparked alarm … Read more

Afghanistan’s central bank is believed to hold more than $9 billion in assets overseas as part of Afghanistan’s foreign exchange reserves. Countries use foreign exchange reserves to facilitate foreign trade and back up the value of their own currency, among other purposes. More than $7 billion of the $9 billion in total assets are held … Read more

With the central bank in limbo and banks short of cash, the question is: Does Afghanistan have money? The current situation has affected nearly every aspect of Afghan life, from the lives of farmers and teachers to those suffering from severe malnutrition. Moreover, with no access to capital, importers and exporters have no way to … Read more

The terrain and geography of Afghanistan are logistical nightmares. First, the country is landlocked, so the only way to Afghanistan is through neighboring countries or by air. The second, and probably the biggest, obstacle is the high peaks of the Hindu Kush mountain range, which cover 75% of the total area of Afghanistan. These mountains … Read more

The Taliban may have a large arsenal of military weapons, but that arsenal is far smaller than the reported $88 billion. That said, the Taliban still have enough military equipment to be able to maintain some of this arsenal. In addition, it is unlikely that the Taliban will be able to use all of its … Read more

Many Afghans are wondering, “Who is funding the Taliban now?” This question has many possible answers. There are several sources of revenue for the Taliban, including drug revenues and mining operations. Some sources cite the support of the Pakistani intelligence services, which helped the Taliban return to power. These sources could not have accomplished this … Read more

The official legal marriage age in Afghanistan is 16 for girls and 18 for boys. Most marriages in Afghanistan’s segregated society are arranged by parents and family elders between consenting adults. But traditions involving bride price, dowries, and using marriages to settle disputes results have turned many arranged marriages into forced unions. Every year thousands … Read more