The Government of Afghanistan on June 7 offered a unilateral, week-long cease-fire to the Taliban beginning June 12, in observance of the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Of course, a cease-fire is not a peace agreement, but it can lead to one.

On Friday, Mohammad Jawad Qasemi, an unemployed computer technician, gathered with his family and friends to read from the Koran. They decided that all those over 18, both women and men, would sign up on Sunday to vote in parliamentary elections this October.

Scott Worden spoke to SiriusXM POTUS Ch. 124 upon his return from Kabul, Afghanistan to share his analysis about the string of recent Taliban and ISIS attacks. Worden explained that while the attacks are not coordinated, the horrendous attacks serve a central purpose of destabilizing the Ghani government. Worden also...

Three deadly attacks in Afghanistan's capital have killed more than 130 people in just over a week, a nearly unprecedented urban terrorism blitz that seemed likely to prompt a sobering international reassessment of Afghan defense capabilities as the Trump administration begins building a new, ramped-up military presence and intensified combat-training role.

You summon a ride using the Kaweyan Cabs taxi-hailing app, listening to upbeat Pashtun pop as your driver takes you through streets clogged with traffic. You get to the workshare space at the Hub, where you rent a desk and spend a few hours responding to emails on your laptop, and perhaps play a few rounds...

Scott Worden spoke to SiriusXM POTUS Ch. 124 about the 13th annual Survey of the Afghan People published by The Asia Foundation. Worden discusses key findings, trend lines, reasons for optimism and important points of concern that stem from the comprehensive survey.

fter four months on the front line fighting the Taliban, Ahmad Zai was exhausted. It had been a hot, demanding summer for the Afghan National Police, holding territory taken from the Taliban or rushing to reinforce...

Andrew Wilder, vice president of Asia programs at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), pointed to the upcoming Afghan presidential elections in 2019. The last election in 2014 required heavy U.S. involvement. Scott Worden, director of Afghanistan and Central Asia Programs at USIP, said that, on one hand, Trump wants to protect the U.S. from terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, but on the other, 30 years of non-democratic institutions in Afghanistan have led to more violence. Belquis Ahmadi, a senior program officer as USIP, said it is now “up to the Afghans to address the needs of its people.”