Afghanistan’s Former Spy Chief on Russia, China, and the Taliban’s Legitimization Strategy
About this episode
Masoud Andarabi discusses the Taliban's legitimacy and international relations with Russia and China.
Masoud Andarabi, former interior minister of Afghanistan and former acting director of the National Directorate of Security, joins host Tushar Shetty to examine the international re-engagement of the Taliban regime and what it means for the regional order. They discuss the distinction between the Taliban’s consolidated control and its absent legitimacy, the geopolitical logic behind Russia’s recognition, China’s Digital Silk Road and the surveillance infrastructure embedded in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s transformation from the movement’s patron into its adversary and the TTP question at the center of it, and his assessment of India’s intelligence-led engagement with individual Taliban factions. The views expressed here are personal.
More episodes of Beyond the Indus
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Beyond the Indus podcast page.