In this powerful episode of Talibanology, host Tamim Asey is joined by Ambassador Annie Pforzheimer — former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan and South Asia, and former Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

Drawing on her three decades in U.S. diplomacy and her new book The U.S. and the Taliban: A Policy Reckoning, Annie offers a candid and insightful critique of America’s engagement with the Taliban—from flawed assumptions to policy missteps—and explores what’s next for U.S. strategy in the region.

The conversation dives deep into:
•The long-term viability of the Taliban Emirate
•U.S. policy options: isolation, engagement, or recognition?
•The fate of Afghan women, girls, and civil society
•Counterterrorism priorities and regional dynamics
•Lessons from the U.S. withdrawal and legacy of international involvement

This is a must-listen episode for anyone seeking clarity on where Afghanistan stands today—and where it may be headed tomorrow.

In this episode - Tamim Asey is joined by the world-renowned Taliban expert and Afghanistan historian Professor Michael Semple for a deep dive into the lives, leadership and legacy of the Taliban’s three Emirs: Mullah Omar, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor and Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Together, they explore how the Taliban craft myths around their leaders, the role of secrecy and decentralised governance and whether there’s any space for reform within the movement. The discussion also covers the worldviews of various Taliban Emirs, the prospects of a succession crisis, economic control and the group’s enduring oppression of women.

A must-listen for anyone interested in the hidden world behind the Taliban’s rise, rule and resilience.

Topics Covered:
•Myth-making and charismatic authority of the Taliban emirs
•Secrecy, decentralisation and internal power dynamics
•The question of Taliban reform and moderation
•Taliban foreign relations with Iran, China, Russia, and the West
•Succession risks and internal fractures
•How women’s rights are framed within Taliban ideology

Tune in for an eye-opening conversation that goes beyond headlines to unpack the forces shaping Afghanistan today.

In this episode of Talibanology, podcast host Tamim Asey sits down with Emeritus Professor William Maley of the Australian National University—renowned scholar and author of The Afghanistan Wars, Rescuing Afghanistan, and What is a Refugee?

Drawing on decades of expertise, Professor Maley offers a sharp and sobering comparison between the Taliban’s first regime in the 1990s and their current rule. Has the group truly transformed from an ideological insurgency into a functioning government—or is it a return to authoritarian basics under a more polished facade?

The discussion goes beyond day-to-day Taliban rule dynamics to examine how the Taliban are reshaping Afghan society through social engineering, expanding internal surveillance and embedding the foundations of a 21st-century police state. We explore the collapse of the Afghan Republic, the failures of international diplomacy and the new strategic chessboard emerging in the region as powers like Iran, China, Pakistan, and Russia recalibrate in response.

With clarity, historical depth and critical foresight, Professor Maley unpacks what’s at stake for Afghanistan’s future and why the world should be paying close attention.

Tune in for a timely and thought-provoking conversation at the intersection of power, repression and regional geopolitics.

In this episode of Talibanology, we are joined by leading insurgency expert Dr. Antonio Giustozzi, author of The Taliban at War, The Islamic State in Khorasan, and Empires of Mud, to dissect the secretive architecture of Taliban power—its military evolution, intelligence apparatus, and internal security logic.

We explore five critical themes:

1.Militia in Uniform? The Myth and Reality of Taliban Military Transformation
Has the Taliban truly transformed from a fragmented militia into an organised national army—or is it still a network of local commanders and fighters draped in the façade of a professional force?

2.The Rise of the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI)
How was the Taliban’s internal intelligence body built? Is it a serious institutional actor or an ideological enforcer mimicking the statecraft of former Afghan regimes?

3.Guerrilla Logic in a State’s Clothing
Has the Taliban adapted its insurgent mindset to state governance—or is it simply repackaging guerrilla doctrine under the guise of a functioning state?

4.The ISKP Threat and the Taliban’s Counterinsurgency Playbook
Is the Taliban genuinely concerned about ISKP’s rise, or does it exaggerate the threat to tighten its own grip on power and extract concessions from the international community?

5.Surveillance, Suspicion, and Internal Control
How much of the Emirate’s intelligence infrastructure is devoted to monitoring its own ranks? Are paranoia and factionalism quietly tearing through the Taliban from within?

Finally, we ask:

Is reform within the Taliban even possible—or is the only real path to change through an internal implosion or the removal of the Emir himself?

Dr. Giustozzi brings decades of field research and piercing analysis to help us make sense of a regime that rules by fear, secrecy, and a state-in-the-making security complex.

Tune in to this unflinching look at how the Taliban governs—not just through guns and decrees but through spies, suspicion and silence.

In this episode of Talibanology, host Tamim Asey sits down with the brilliant Dr. Jennifer Murtazashvili, Director of the Center for Governance and Markets at the University of Pittsburgh and author of Informal Order and the State in Afghanistan. A leading thinker on governance and post-conflict statecraft, Dr. Murtazashvili brings deep insight into the intersection of local authority, foreign engagement and Afghan political futures.

Together, they explore the Taliban’s evolving foreign policy and ask:

•Does the Taliban have a grand strategy—or is it just playing whack-a-mole with the world?
•Who truly drives external relations—Kandahar clerics, Kabul-based technocrats, or the Haqqani network?

They map out the regional chessboard:
•How are Central Asia, China, Russia, and India recalibrating their engagement with the Emirate?
•Has Pakistan moved from patron to frustrated neighbour?

The conversation also covers:
•The role of Qatar and the UN as Western and U.S. conduits to the Taliban
•The evolving U.S. policy toward the Emirate post-withdrawal
•The status and potential role of the Afghan diaspora in shaping Afghanistan’s future

Finally, they confront the central question: Is the Taliban reformable, or simply waiting out global pressure with “strategic patience”?

A wide-ranging, no-holds-barred conversation you won’t want to miss.

In the debut episode of Talibanology, host Tamim Asey sits down with Dr. Hassan Abbas—renowned scholar of the Taliban and South Asian security—for a gripping conversation on the internal dynamics of the Taliban regime. We unpack rival power centres within the Emirate, governance challenges, economic sustainability, and the group’s regional strategy and ties to terrorist networks.

We also explore provocative questions: What would happen if the Taliban Emir were assassinated? How does the normalization of former jihadists like Ahmad Sharaa impact Taliban thinking? Is internal revolt brewing, and can the Afghan diaspora play a meaningful role in shaping a political future?

A must-listen for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the opaque world of Taliban rule.

Welcome aboard!