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Graeme Smith
@smithkabul
Bestselling author, Emmy-winning journalist, recovering political advisor. Formerly @UN, @CrisisGroup etc.
Joined February 2010
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    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Dec 9, 2024
    A brutal regime falls. But there’s a problem: the UN and several countries say the victorious rebels are terrorists. What to do? There’s no playbook for Islamist insurgents faced with the challenges of running a country. But there is a precedent, in Afghanistan. 1/
    208K
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    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Mar 23, 2022
    The Taliban’s decision to prevent girls from attending secondary schools is terribly disappointing, and could have far-reaching consequences for Afghanistan’s relationship with the world. This thread offers some initial analysis and context. 1/
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    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Dec 24, 2022
    I've spent months telling people "don't punish the Taliban by hurting the people" but now the Taliban themselves have decided to block delivery of humanitarian aid to their own suffering population. This is cruel and dangerous.
    A rally on Thursday in Kabul, Afghanistan, to protest the Taliban rule barring women from attending universities.
    Taliban Bar Women From NGOs, Threatening to Worsen Crisis (Published 2022)
    From nytimes.com
    97K
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    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Sep 14, 2022
    1. The U.S. plans to send $3.5 billion into a trust fund as the first step in putting Afghanistan’s frozen assets back to work for the recovery of the war-ravaged economy. I’ve been talking to those involved; this is a thread about their hopes and fears.
    U.S. Department of the Treasury
    Joint Statement by U.S. Treasury and State Department: The United States and Partners Announce...
    From home.treasury.gov
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    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Dec 22, 2021
    The UN Security Council has passed a resolution allowing some sanctions exemptions for humanitarian aid delivery in Afghanistan - but US, UN, and other sanctions continue to destroy the Afghan economy, creating the world's largest humanitarian disaster.
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    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Jul 26, 2021
    Peace activist and journalist Bismillah Watandost reportedly detained with three colleagues today in Kandahar.
  • user avatar
    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Dec 29, 2021
    The West should ease restrictions and help to revive the Afghan economy. This would reinforce regional stability, stem the drug trade, and curb the migration crisis. Saving millions of Afghans from destitution might also redeem U.S. prestige (1/2)
    Stop Starving Afghanistan
    From foreignaffairs.com
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    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Nov 1, 2018
    When I started visiting Afghanistan in 2005, I met Afghan bureaucrats with layers of dust on their desks doing little more than drinking tea. Now the country has a new generation of well-educated officials, and the day-to-day workings of government have changed.
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    Ajmal Ahmady
    @aahmady
    Oct 31, 2018
    1/ BREAKING NEWS: Congratulations!  Afghanistan has obtained 167th position in the World Bank Doing Business Report in 2019 compared to 183th in 2018 (+16 places). Afghanistan has been selected as one of the top reformers in the world
  • user avatar
    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Dec 9, 2024
    Replying to @smithkabul @delaneysimon and 2 others
    That is why our team @CrisisGroup called for an exemption to UN sanctions for all humanitarian aid and pushed the Security Council to make it permanent. Politics should not block assistance for needy people. 9/
    Ten Challenges for the UN in 2024-2025 | International Crisis Group
    From crisisgroup.org
    9.7K
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    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Mar 7, 2022
    As the world focuses on the Ukraine crisis and people fleeing their homes because of war, a new report from @IOMAfghanistan about displaced Afghans got almost no attention. The survey tells two dramatic stories about war and its aftermath. 🧵1/
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    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Mar 18, 2015
    If anybody tells you human rights advocacy is a waste of time, show them this graph. aoav.org.uk/2015/report-na…
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    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Aug 14, 2024
    What has happened since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, exactly three years ago? Not an easy question. Here's our best effort to answer it.
    Afghanistan Three Years after the Taliban Takeover | International Crisis Group
    From crisisgroup.org
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    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Dec 9, 2024
    Replying to @smithkabul
    We weren’t the only people documenting the Taliban’s struggles to repair their relationship with international actors. The HTS leader reportedly “followed events in Afghanistan closely”, seeking to avoid that mess. 4/ newlinesmag.com/reportage/the-…
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    Graeme Smith
    @smithkabul
    Dec 9, 2024
    Replying to @smithkabul
    In fact, a lot of the time the international ‘system’ does not work. My colleagues and I spent the last three years studying the patchwork of rules, norms, and politics that shape the Taliban’s engagement with the outside world. It’s not much of a system. 3/
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