Afghanistan
Alumni Publication: "The Samarkand Meeting: A Half-baked Regional Approach to Afghanistan’s Endless Woes" by Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
On 25 April 2023, The Diplomat published NESA Center alumna Shanthie Mariet D’Souza's piece titled "The Samarkand Meeting: A Half-baked Regional Approach to Afghanistan’s Endless Woes." D'Souza argues that "legitimizing the Taliban’s rule is not the solution to Afghanistan’s current...
Alumni Publication: "The Taliban’s Afghanistan: Retribution, Refugees, and Violent Extremism" by Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
On 29 August 2023, The Diplomat published NESA Center alumna Shanthie Mariet D’Souza's latest Op-Ed "The Taliban’s Afghanistan: Retribution, Refugees, and Violent Extremism." "An overwhelming element of vengeance continues to drive the Taliban’s policies, as illustrated by...
Alumni Publication: "The Taliban’s Unsustainable War on Drugs" by Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
On 27 June, The Diplomat published NESA Center alumna Shanthie Mariet D’Souza's latest Op-Ed "The Taliban’s Unsustainable War on Drugs." "Afghanistan’s opiate economy is unlikely to be disrupted by a one-off campaign of crop destruction in a handful of provinces." Read the full...
Alumni Publication: "Trump’s Bagram Claims and the Taliban’s Foreign Policy Choices" by Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
On 29 September 2025, The Diplomat published NESA Center alumna Shanthie Mariet D’Souza's latest article, "Trump’s Bagram Claims and the Taliban’s Foreign Policy Choices." "Taliban Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi has characterized the group’s foreign policy as 'balanced and...
Alumni Publication: "U.S.-Pakistan Relations: Unraveling Complexities, Forging a Shared Future" by Syeda Tahreem Bukhari and Abdul Basit
On 29 December 2023, the NESA Center for Strategic Studies published the Op-Ed, "U.S.-Pakistan Relations: Unraveling Complexities, Forging a Shared Future," authored by alumni Syeda Tahreem Bukhari and Abdul Basit. "While Pakistan may not hold the status of an equal partner to the...
Alumni Publication: "Where Do Taliban-Pakistan Relations Stand Now?" by Shanthie Mariet D'Souza
On 15 March 2024, The Diplomat published NESA Center alumna Shanthie Mariet D'Souza's article, "Where Do Taliban-Pakistan Relations Stand Now?" "One reason driving Islamabad’s renewed efforts in Afghanistan may be India’s continuing moves to expand its dealings with the...
Alumni Publication: "Women’s Rights in Afghanistan: Will the Taliban Adhere to CEDAW?" by Shanthie Mariet D'Souza
On 8 October 2024, The Diplomat published NESA Center alumna Shanthie Mariet D'Souza's latest article, "Women’s Rights in Afghanistan: Will the Taliban Adhere to CEDAW?" "In 2003, Afghanistan ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against...
Alumni Publication: "Women’s rights under the Taliban: The socio-economic consequences of political exclusion" by Shanthie Mariet D'Souza
On 7 March 2024, Middle East Institute published NESA Center alumna Shanthie Mariet D'Souza's analysis, "Women’s rights under the Taliban: The socio-economic consequences of political exclusion." "One of the first things the Taliban did after capturing power in August 2021 was to abolish...
Alumni Publication: China’s Challenges in Afghanistan Are Just Beginning by Shanthie Mariet D'Souza
NESA Center Alumna Dr. Shanthie Mariet D'Souza authored an article published by The National Interest on 6 February 2023 titled “China’s Challenges in Afghanistan Are Just Beginning." Read the article here The views presented in...
Alumni Publication: Iran’s Taliban outreach poses a significant challenge to India’s Afghan policy by Shanthie Mariet D'Souza
On 15 March 2023, Firstpost published NESA Center alumna Shanthie Mariet D'Souza's opinion piece titled "Iran’s Taliban outreach poses a significant challenge to India’s Afghan policy." Read the article here Shanthie Mariet D'Souza is founder and president, Mantraya and Visiting...
Alumni Publication: Moscow Multilateral Security Dialogue: Regional Consensus Elusive on Afghanistan by Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
On 22 February 2023, The Diplomat published NESA Center alumna Shanthie Mariet D’Souza's latest op-ed titled "Moscow Multilateral Security Dialogue: Regional Consensus Elusive on Afghanistan." Read the article here The views presented in this...
Alumni Publication: Pressure the Taliban to protect women’s rights by Shanthie Mariet D’Souza
NESA Center Alumna Shanthie Mariet D'Souza authored an opinion piece published by the Hindustan Times on 19 January 2023 titled “Pressure the Taliban to protect women’s rights.” Read the piece here The views presented in this article are...
Alumni Publication: Taliban Incapacity and the growing threat of Islamic State-Khorasan Province by Dr. Shanthie Mariet D'Souza and Bibhu Prasad Routray
On 10 March 2023, Mantraya published the analysis "Taliban Incapacity and the growing threat of Islamic State-Khorasan Province" co-authored by NESA Center alumna Dr. Shanthie Mariet D'Souza and Bibhu Prasad Routray. The article discusses the potential threat posed by...
CSAG Information Paper: "China and Russia: Competition for Afghanistan"
Subject: China and Russia: Competition for Afghanistan (AFG) Purpose: The aim of this paper is to present CSAG’s analysis of competition between Russia and China for agreements and strategies for the Central Asian Heartland. Read the full paper here View other USCENTCOM Combined...
CSAG Information Paper: “Reawakening Threats: The Reemergence of Islamic State Amid Global Distractions”
Subject: "Reawakening Threats: The Reemergence of Islamic State Amid Global Distractions." Purpose: This paper examines the reemergence of Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East. IS continues its recruiting efforts, resulting in a steady trend of malign activities in the region, while the...
CSAG Strategy Paper: Afghanistan: Three Years Down the Road and Resurgence of Terrorism
Introduction: Three years into Taliban rule, the question of whether Afghanistan once again becomes a haven for international terrorism is fast becoming a reality. The possibility of terrorism operating again in, and from, Afghanistan, threatening the security of the U.S. and its allies and...
CSAG Strategy Paper: Central Asia – Challenges and Opportunities for Regional Stability
Overview: Central Asia stands at a critical juncture, subject to influence by various global powers and regional actors. The strategic landscape is characterized by a delicate balance of interests, including those of the United States, Russia, China, and the European Union. The region’s...
Defeating ISIS in eastern Afghanistan
Congratulations to Lt. Amy Forsythe, an alumnae of the Asia-Pacific Orientation Course 17-2, who recent had an article published on "Defeating ISIS in Eastern Afghanistan." Forsythe is part of NATO Special Operations Component Command -Afghanistan. Here is a copy of her article: Defeating...
Faculty Publication: "Afghanistan: Consolidation of Power Under the Taliban – Challenges and Sustainability" by Ali Ahmad Jalali
The Journal of Strategic Security (JSS) and the Global and National Security Institute (GNSI) recently published a special edition on Afghanistan, timed to coincide with the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power (August 15, 2021). The issue features NESA Center...
Faculty Publication: "The internal splits that threaten the Taliban’s rule" by Hassan Abbas
On 28 July 2023, Chatham House published NESA Center Distinguished Professor Hassan Abbas's latest article "The internal splits that threaten the Taliban’s rule" for its The World Today issue. "Dogmatically and brutally, the Taliban are learning to govern – but growing tensions between...