The Afghan Great Game Podcast

I explore the political history of Afghanistan from the abdication of Dr Nanibullah in 1992 until today. I look at the similarities and differences between the departure of the USSR and the US explaining why it is not the same and how the collapse of the government can by mitigated or avoided.

From 1972 to 1992, the mixture of the political fight, ethnic fight, and religious movements create the condition where people were looking for a Solution that would bring Sharia Law and Peace. The result would be the movement started by “students from the Madrassas” - IE Talibs.

In this episode we track the kings and emirs of Afghanistan, the changes in government from an emir, to Kingdom, to Republic, to Emirate, to Republic. We explain why the government has never represented more than half of the population and their values since the Hotak Empire in 1708. One cannot understand the road to peace without understanding why governments always failed in the past and now. The governments never represented more than half the population.

In this episode, we cover the roots of what has led to the Ethnic War of today. It starts with the borders of Afghanistan being drawn by Russia and Great Britain as an end to the Great Game. It includes the Pashtun Barakzai Mahmoud Amir Abdul Rahman Khans attempt to consolidate power under a common Hannafi Fiqh, and the brutal extent he went to accomplish his goal by enslaving the Shiite Hazara.

In this episode I tell of the three reasons you haven’t been educated on Afghanistan well enough to derive an educated opinion. I also tell the audience who the Average Afghan is and what they need from the government and constitution for peace.

The episode announces a new Podcast by Keith Lembke. The Podcast Afghanistan Simplified is a true, honest, explanation of the conflict following the ethnic, tribal, and religious roots of Afghanistan from 1892 until today. In the series we explore the two cultural wars being fought today and the stakeholders involved; both which complicate the peace process. We talk of the tribal, ethnic, Islamic, and political realities shaping the real wars in Afghanistan and how, and why, they are being exploited by world powers and Afghanistan’s neighbors. Finally we predict the future and chance for peace. Please join us.