A podcast that deconstructs internal power dyamics and policy shifts within the Taliban Emirate. A deep dive into the power, people and policies of the Emirate.
SPECIAL EPISODE: The Unbroken Bond: Dr. Sara Harmouch on Taliban–Al Qaeda Alliance After Doha Agreement and Their Quest for Drones, WMDs and External Operations.
In this special episode of Talibanology, host Tamim Asey sits down with Dr. Sara Harmouch a leading terrorism expert and founder of H9 Defense and a Ph.D holder from the American University. She is a national security expert and counterterrorism researcher, she focuses on Islamist militant groups, irregular warfare, alliance dynamics, non-state actors’ behavior and their interactions with state actors. Raised in Lebanon and native in Arabic and French, she brings firsthand experience and fiel...
6 Aug 2025
Episode 8. The Emir’s Labyrinth: Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown on the Taliban Emirate's Factions, Fiefdoms and Fragile Control
What keeps the Taliban’s grip on power so firm—and what might unravel it from within? In this gripping season finale of Talibanology, host Tamim Asey is joined by Dr. Vanda Felbab-Brown, a leading authority on non-state armed actors, insurgent governance and illicit economies. As Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and Director of several cutting-edge initiatives including: - Director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors - Director of The Fentanyl Epidemic in North America and t...
21 Jul 2025
Episode 7. Mapping the Shadow Caliphate: Dr. Amira Jadoon on ISKP, the Taliban and the South Asian Militant Maze
In this episode of Talibanology, host Tamim Asey is joined by Professor Dr. Amira Jadoon, Associate Professor at Clemson University and one of the foremost authorities on terrorism and insurgency dynamics in South and Central Asia. Drawing from her groundbreaking book The Islamic State in Afghanistan and Pakistan: Strategic Alliances and Rivalries (2023), Dr. Jadoon guides us through the complex and shifting landscape of jihadist militancy across the region. We delve into the rise of the Isl...
14 Jul 2025
Episode 6. Abandoning the Frontlines: Annie Pforzheimer on U.S. Diplomacy, Taliban Rule and the Struggle for Afghan Futures
In this powerful episode of Talibanology, host Tamim Asey is joined by Ambassador Annie Pforzheimer — former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan and South Asia, and former Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Drawing on her three decades in U.S. diplomacy and her new book The U.S. and the Taliban: A Policy Reckoning, Annie offers a candid and insightful critique of America’s engagement with the Taliban—from flawed assumptions to policy missteps—and explores w...
10 Jul 2025
Episode 5. The Shadow Rulers: Inside the Lives and Legends of the Taliban Emirs
In this episode - Tamim Asey is joined by the world-renowned Taliban expert and Afghanistan historian Professor Michael Semple for a deep dive into the lives, leadership and legacy of the Taliban’s three Emirs: Mullah Omar, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor and Sheikh Hibatullah Akhundzada. Together, they explore how the Taliban craft myths around their leaders, the role of secrecy and decentralised governance and whether there’s any space for reform within the movement. The discussion also covers the w...
28 Jun 2025
Episode 4. Taliban Rule Rewired: Social Engineering, Surveillance and the New Regional Chessboard
Host Tamim Asey interviews Professor William Maley, who analyzes the Taliban's current rule in Afghanistan, comparing it to their regime in the 1990s and assessing their transformation into a functioning government.
16 Jun 2025
Episode 3. The Emir’s Iron Fist: War, Surveillance and the Taliban’s Secret State
Dr. Antonio Giustozzi, insurgency expert, analyzes the Taliban's power structure, examining its military transformation, intelligence operations, and internal security strategies in this interview episode.
12 Jun 2025
Episode 2: The Cloak and Kalashnikov Diplomacy - Mullahs, Militias and the Making of the Taliban Emirate Foreign Policy
Tamim Asey interviews Dr. Jennifer Murtazashvili about the Taliban's evolving foreign policy, examining the interplay of local power, international relations, and Afghanistan's political trajectory.
8 Jun 2025
Episode 1. Inside the Taliban’s Black Box: Power, Paranoia and the Road Ahead
Host Tamim Asey interviews Dr. Hassan Abbas, who analyzes the Taliban's power struggles, governance, economic viability, regional strategy, and connections to terrorist groups.
19 May 2025
The Trailer
This trailer introduces "Talibanology: Power, People and Policies," a podcast exploring the Taliban's influence, population dynamics, and strategic approaches.
Who has been a guest on Talibanology: Power, People and Policies
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
William Maley
Dr Antonio Giustozzi
Dr Jennifer Murtazashvili
Dr Hassan Abbas
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 10 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
7
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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Guest appearances
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