Shabnam Nasimi, a Policy Advisor to the UK Minister of Afghan Resettlement and Director of Afghan Witness, joins Christina Lamb OBE, a seasoned foreign correspondent. They tackle the complex question of Western engagement with the Taliban. Discussing the dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, they emphasize the urgent need for aid amidst severe economic hardships. The conversation also explores the internal divisions within the Taliban and the ethical implications of providing support while avoiding formal recognition of the regime.
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Afghanistan's Decline
Christina Lamb describes Afghanistan's rapid decline after the Taliban takeover.
She recounts a cafe owner's lament: "It was as if somebody had switched the TV screen off."
insights INSIGHT
Economic Crisis
Afghanistan's economic crisis worsened after the Taliban takeover, with banks closing and aid disappearing.
People resorted to selling possessions due to lack of money and unpaid wages.
insights INSIGHT
Taliban's Origins
The Taliban emerged after the Russian withdrawal from Afghanistan, initially promising law and order.
They gained support from those tired of warlord chaos and fighting.
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In *Our Bodies, Their Battlefields*, Christina Lamb chronicles the harrowing experiences of women in conflict zones, highlighting the systematic use of rape as a weapon of war. The book explores the psychological and physical damage inflicted on women in various regions, including the Congo, Rwanda, Nigeria, Bosnia, and Iraq. Lamb gives voice to survivors, shedding light on the underreported atrocities and the struggle for justice.
Farewell Kabul
Christina Lamb
In 'Farewell Kabul', Christina Lamb provides a deeply personal and insightful analysis of the West's response to 9/11 and the subsequent war in Afghanistan. The book explores how the conflict evolved into one of the longest and most complex wars in history, leaving Afghanistan in a state of turmoil and the Taliban undefeated. Lamb draws on her extensive experience and access to key decision-makers to explain the strategic failures and human costs of the war.
Since the hardline militant group recaptured the Afghan capital Kabul in August 2021, the question of how Western powers should deal with the Taliban has become one with no easy answers. The Taliban is a fundamentalist movement, whose ideology has spawned violence and terrorism both inside and outside of Afghanistan. However, the country it now governs is one in need of urgent aid, where the plights of women and minority groups abandoned in a hasty retreat by the West mean that a refusal to engage by Western powers could become a disastrous long-term foreign policy error. For this debate, we ask: should the West work with the Taliban? Our guests are Shabnam Nasimi, Policy Advisor to the Minister of Afghan Resettlement in the UK. She is also Director of Afghan Witness, a platform dedicated to Human Rights reporting from Afghanistan. Joining Shabnam is Christina Lamb OBE, Chief Foreign Correspondent for the Sunday Times, Global Fellow for the Woodrow Wilson International Center, and author of books including Farewell Kabul, and Our Bodies, Their Battlefield. Chairing the debate is journalist, investigative reporter and broadcaster, Manveen Rana.
Intelligence Squared 
