South Asia Times

Afghanistan

An analysis of how Afghanistan has recalibrated its narcotics economy through managed scarcity, stockpile leverage, and synthetic drug diversification.

Afghanistan and the Architecture of Managed Narcotics Power

SAT Commentary January 23, 2026

Afghanistan’s post-2021 economy has shifted toward informality, coercive revenue, and regional trade, shaped by isolation, sanctions, and political risk.

Afghanistan’s Post-2021 Economic Model

SAT Editorial Desk January 20, 2026

Bagram Airbase, US Aid, and Afghanistan’s Strategic-Humanitarian Dilemma

Bagram Airbase, US Aid, and Afghanistan’s Strategic-Humanitarian Dilemma

SAT Commentary January 13, 2026

Assessing the Escalation of Anti-Taliban Resistance in Afghanistan

Assessing the Escalation of Anti-Taliban Resistance in Afghanistan

SAT Commentary January 12, 2026

An analysis of Maulana Sultan’s assassination exposing how ISKP and TTP use coordinated denials, delayed claims, and Afghan sanctuaries to manage terror narratives.

Narrative Management and the ISKP–TTP Ecosystem

SAT Commentary January 11, 2026

Extractive Rule and Ethnic Fault Lines in Afghanistan

Extractive Rule and Ethnic Fault Lines in Afghanistan

SAT Commentary January 8, 2026

The Revival of Ethnic Engineering in Northern Afghanistan

The Revival of Ethnic Engineering in Northern Afghanistan

SAT Commentary January 7, 2026

A critical reading of Zalmay Khalilzad’s interview reveals strategic bias on ISKP, TTP safe havens, and Pakistan’s role in US–Taliban diplomacy.

Khalilzad on ISKP, TTP, and Pakistan

SAT Commentary January 3, 2026

Taliban: Three Decades of Faith, Fear, and Erasure

Taliban:Three Decades of Faith, Fear, and Erasure

SAT Editorial Desk January 2, 2026