After the 9/11 attacks, Afghanistan became the frontline of America’s “War on Terror.” The U.S. invasion in 2001 aimed to dismantle al-Qaeda and remove the Taliban, but the mission quickly expanded into a far more ambitious nation-building project. Over two decades, billions were spent and new institutions were created. Yet corruption, weak governance, and a resilient Taliban insurgency steadily undermined those goals.

The Bonn Agreement sought to rebuild Afghanistan’s political system, but excluded key Afghan factions and helped entrench patronage networks. As international troops battled the Taliban across the countryside, the Afghan state struggled to gain public trust, even as elections and aid programs signaled progress on paper.

By 2020, the Doha Agreement shifted the war’s trajectory again, setting the stage for a U.S. withdrawal without securing a sustainable peace. In August 2021, the Afghan government collapsed with unprecedented speed, leading to the Taliban’s return and raising urgent questions about the cost and outcome of America’s longest war.

In this final part of the Afghanistan series at Global Faultlines, we trace the path from 9/11 to the fall of Kabul, examine why the U.S. mission failed, and explore what the Taliban’s comeback means for Afghanistan’s future.

Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Research: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

Camera: Johan Sathyadas J

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The Taliban emerged in the mid-1990s amid the instability that followed the Soviet withdrawal and the civil war that devastated Afghanistan. Promising to restore order and justice, the movement drew support from war-weary Afghans and backing from sections of Pakistan’s military establishment. By 1996, it had captured Kabul and declared the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

The Taliban’s rule brought a measure of stability but imposed severe social restrictions. Its leadership enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law, curtailed women’s rights, silenced dissent, and restricted access to education and public life, forcing Afghanistan into diplomatic and economic isolation.

During this period, the Taliban forged close ties with Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, turning Afghanistan into a base for global militant networks. These alliances heightened international alarm and culminated in the regime’s downfall after the September 11 attacks in 2001.

In this second part of the Afghanistan series at Global Faultlines, we trace the Taliban’s first rise to power, explore the nature of their rule, and examine how it shaped Afghanistan’s trajectory in the decades that followed.

Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Research: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

Camera: Shivaraj S

Editing and production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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Afghanistan has long held a pivotal place in regional geopolitics, its strategic location making it a prize and a battleground for competing powers. From the 19th-century “Great Game” between Britain and Russia to the Cold War proxy wars of the 20th century, external influence has continuously shaped its trajectory.

Following independence in 1919, successive governments sought to modernise while balancing tribal, religious, and regional interests. Yet instability persisted, deepened by ideological divides and foreign interventions.

The 1970s marked a turning point, from ending King Zahir Shah’s monarchy in 1973, to the Soviet invasion in 1979. What followed was a decade-long conflict that drew in the United States, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, leaving the country fractured after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989.

In this first part of our three-part series on Afghanistan, we trace the country’s transformation from a buffer state to a theatre of global rivalries, and examine how decades of intervention and internal division have shaped the nation it is today.

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Iran today stands at a crossroads, acting as both a stabilising and destabilising force in one of the world’s most volatile regions. Its influence extends through a network of allies and proxies, from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen, while its diplomatic and strategic moves continue to draw global attention.

In this second part of our two-part series on Iran, we examine the country’s foreign relations and regional strategy. We look at Tehran’s rapprochement with Saudi Arabia in 2023, its growing partnerships with China and Russia, and the ongoing tensions with the United States following the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal. We also explore how India navigates its ties with Iran, balancing economic engagement with broader regional considerations.

This episode unpacks how Tehran’s alliances, rivalries, and strategic calculations shape West Asia and beyond, asking critical questions about the sustainability of its partnerships and the long-term implications for regional and global stability.

Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu.

Video: Shivaraj S

Research, Editing and Production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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Iran has been a key force in East Asian politics for decades, influencing regional conflicts, global diplomacy, and international security. From the 1953 coup against Prime Minister Mossadegh to the transformative 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran’s history has shaped a political system that blends elected institutions with the authority of a Supreme Leader.

In this first part of our two-part series on Iran, we explore the country’s regional ambitions, its backing of groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, and the long-standing pursuit of a nuclear program that has triggered international sanctions and scrutiny. We also delve into the Iran-Saudi rivalry, often seen as sectarian, but deeply rooted in geopolitical strategy and power dynamics.

This episode unpacks how Iran’s history, politics, and regional strategies continue to influence East Asia and keep the country at the center of global attention.

Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Video: Shivaraj S

Edited and produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

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In the first two episodes of this three-part series, we traced the roots of the Israel–Palestine question - from the legacies of colonialism and partition in 1948 to the cycles of displacement, violence, and negotiations that followed. In this third and final episode, we shift the lens to the present, asking how the rest of the world is responding to a crisis that refuses to fade. 

While the United States continues to offer unwavering support to Israel, parts of Europe have moved towards recognizing Palestinian as a state. India has attempted to walk a fine line, balancing its historic solidarity with Palestine and its growing strategic ties with Israel.  

Through these faultlines, one theme emerges clearly: the Israel–Palestine question is no longer confined to the region. It has become a test of international order, reshaping diplomacy, alliances, and public opinion across the world. 

Expert: Stanly Johny 

Video: Shivaraj S 

Research and production: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian 

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In the previous episode, we revisited the history of the Israel Palestine conflict, until the creation of Israel in 1948. However, 1948 was not the end, but the beginning of a turbulent new chapter in the region. In the decades that followed, the region was repeatedly reshaped by wars, occupations, and resistance. Borders shifted, cities changed hands, and generations came of age knowing little beyond conflict. 

In this episode, we examine the major wars that followed 1948, asking difficult but necessary questions: What triggered them? What was each side trying to protect — or to gain? And why did every ceasefire feel less like a resolution, and more like an interlude in a continuing struggle? 

Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu 

Research: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian 

Produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian and Shivaraj S 

Camera: Shivaraj S 

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Why does the Israel–Palestine conflict remain one of the most intractable crises of our time? To understand today’s headlines, we need to go back to where it all began.

In the launch episode of Global Faultlines, we trace the roots of the conflict up to the creation of Israel in 1948. The discussion unpacks the competing nationalisms, religious significance of the land, colonial interventions, and the promises made — and broken — along the way.

This historical lens reveals why the choices made decades ago continue to cast a long shadow over the present.

Expert: Stanly Johny, International Affairs Editor, The Hindu

Anchor: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian

Camera: Shivaraj S, Johan Sathya Das Jai

Produced by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian and Shivaraj S

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