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Frud Bezhan

Frud Bezhan is the editor for Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan in the Central Newsroom at RFE/RL. Previously, he was a correspondent and reported from Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Turkey. Prior to joining RFE/RL in 2011, he worked as a freelance journalist in Afghanistan and contributed to several Australian newspapers, including The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

BezhanF@rferl.org

Produced by Frud Bezhan

April 16, 2021
Unconditional U.S. Withdrawal From Afghanistan A Major Victory For Taliban, Analysts Say

Analysts say the planned unconditional withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan by September is a major victory for the Taliban.
November 07, 2020
Deadly Kabul Attacks Expose Possible Divisions Within The Taliban

A spate of deadly urban attacks in Afghanistan has highlighted possible rifts between the Taliban leadership and the allied Haqqani network, the lethal arm of the militant group.
October 30, 2020
Deadlocked Afghan Peace Process At 'Point Of Collapse'

Just weeks after the first direct talks between Afghan government representatives and the Taliban militant group opened to much hype, the historic negotiations aimed at ending the bloody 19-year war are in danger of collapse.
October 23, 2020
Pakistan’s Powerful Military Faces Biggest Challenge In Years

Pakistani opposition parties have mounted the most significant challenge in years to the country’s all-powerful military, publicly calling out the institution for its alleged meddling in politics. It's a red line that few have dared to cross.
October 20, 2020
Afghanistan’s War Victims Demand ‘A Just Peace’ With The Taliban

Victims of Afghanistan's long conflict have been excluded from peace talks aimed at ending the war. They warn that any peace settlement will be fragile if it does not address past crimes.
October 01, 2020
Is The Taliban Seeking A ‘Sunni Afghan Version’ Of Iran?

What kind of power-sharing formula could emerge from an Afghan peace settlement? Experts say the answer is likely a local Sunni version of the Islamic Republic of Iran -- a republican system with a thick theocratic layer.
September 17, 2020
Taliban's Expanding 'Financial Power' Could Make It 'Impervious' To Pressure, Confidential NATO Report Warns

The Taliban is “close to achieving financial and military independence,” a scenario that could make the militant group resistant to compromise in peace talks aimed at ending the war in Afghanistan, according to a secret NATO report seen by RFE/RL.
September 11, 2020
Why Did The Taliban Appoint A Hard-Line Chief Negotiator For Intra-Afghan Talks?

The Taliban has appointed an ultraconservative cleric as the group's chief negotiator for intra-Afghan peace talks.
August 28, 2020
Afghanistan Hit By New Wave Of Polio Cases Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has complicated efforts to eradicate the polio virus in Afghanistan, where authorities have reported a surge of new cases.
August 28, 2020
The Rise Of Mullah Yaqoob, The Taliban's New Military Chief

The eldest son of the Taliban's late founder has emerged from his father's shadow to become a key figure in the militant fundamentalist group.
August 19, 2020
Stalling Strategy? Afghan-Taliban Peace Talks Halted By Concern Over Dangerous Prisoners, Other Obstacles

The first intra-Afghan negotiations over a postwar "road map" were meant to begin this week. But there are new hurdles for the process to get over.
August 13, 2020
Pakistan's 'Brotherly' Ties With Saudi Arabia Hit 'Rock-Bottom'

A diplomatic spat between close allies Pakistan and Saudi Arabia has exposed serious fissures in their relationship.
August 06, 2020
Tik...Tok: Pakistan's Media Crackdown Expands To Cyberspace

Pakistan is cracking down on social-media platforms, with critics accusing authorities of trying to control the free flow of information.
July 22, 2020
This Afghan Girl Watched The Taliban Execute Her Parents. Then She Picked Up An AK-47 And Killed Two Militants Herself.

A teenage Afghan girl killed two Taliban militants who shot her parents dead in a remote province.
July 17, 2020
Pakistan Bows To Islamic Hard-Liners To Halt Hindu Temple Construction

Pakistan has capitulated to pressure from hard-line Islamic clerics and politicians to halt construction on Islamabad's first Hindu temple.
July 13, 2020
As U.S. Moves To Exit Afghanistan, Rivals Prepare To Swoop In

With U.S. forces scheduled to leave Afghanistan within a year, Pakistan, Iran, and Russia see an opportunity to step in.
June 24, 2020
Son Of Prominent Afghan Scholar Self-Immolates In Iran To Protest Discrimination

The son of a respected scholar of ancient Islamic works who was denied Iranian citizenship for a half century set himself alight to protest the plight of his father and other Afghans living there.
June 18, 2020
Pakistan Turns To Turkish TV Drama To Fill Identity 'Vacuum'

Pakistan's leaders have championed a Turkish television drama that has triggered debate in the Muslim-majority country.
June 12, 2020
'Afghan Lives Matter': Gruesome Deaths Of Afghan Migrants In Iran Unleash Outrage

The deaths of three Afghan migrants in a car blaze in Iran have provoked outrage in Afghanistan, after reports that the vehicle went up in flames after being shot at by Iranian police.
June 10, 2020
Iranian Links: New Taliban Splinter Group Emerges That Opposes U.S. Peace Deal

A new Taliban breakaway group with links to Iran has emerged that is opposed to the U.S.-Taliban peace deal aimed at ending the 18-year war in Afghanistan.

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