Independent Thinking: Should we talk with the Taliban?

Episode 41 of our weekly podcast discusses whether the West should engage with the Taliban.

Audio Updated 16 October 2023 Published 29 September 2023 30 minute listen

On this episode

Two years have passed since Kabul fell to the Taliban, in a shocking end to over twenty years of western intervention. The Taliban are now the de-facto government but remain unrecognized. Having lost the war against the Taliban, should the West now begin talks with the group amid a crippling humanitarian crisis?

Joining Bronwen Maddox are Ambassador Roya Rahmani, Afghanistan’s former ambassador to the United States under Ashraf Ghani, Shaharzad Akbar, a distinguished human rights activist and Tobias Ellwood MP.

About Independent Thinking

Independent Thinking is a weekly international affairs podcast hosted by our director Bronwen Maddox, in conversation with leading policymakers, journalists, and Chatham House experts providing insight on the latest international issues.

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