Project

A Journey Home: Afghanistan through the Eyes of a Returning Refugee

Dost Mohammad Fahim Khairy, an Afghan who left his country in a time of great turmoil and was resettled in the United States refugee program, makes his first journey home to Afghanistan since he left on Sept. 15, 2001. A reporting team, comprised of lead reporter Jessica Wanke, reporter Don Duncan and photographer Peter van Agtmael, travels with Fahim and chronicles his experiences after years away from his homeland. Khairy's observations and experiences on this voyage are the lens through which the team looks at Afghanistan today.

Through Khairy, the team delves into issues of Western aid, continued military presence, development and protracted internal conflict. A political blogger, human rights activist and astute follower of developments in Afghanistan, Khairy is an ideal voice to narrate the changes his country is undergoing. Additional perspectives from the ground, from NGO workers to Western military personnel to local Afghans, will provide a broader context to understanding where Afghanistan is today, and where it is going.

May 29, 2008 | World Politics Review

From 7,000 Miles Away, Afghans Anxiously Watch U.S. Presidential Election

MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan — As the United States prepares for its presidential election, many Afghans are anxiously watching the race that will bring an end to the administration that triggered the 2001 U.S. intervention in their country and that has designed much of the continued military and development strategy there.

Given that Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world, has become almost completely dependent on the foreign assistance the U.S. intervention has brought, Afghans perhaps have good reason for their anxiety.

May 21, 2008 | Pulitzer Center

Afghanistan: A Look Back

Through three flights over two days Don and I have made our way back to New York. The long plane rides gave me a chance to reflect on our time in Afghanistan and sort through all of the intense and varied experiences we had along the way.

Though we met with a diverse group of people, a number of issues kept arising. Among them are the following: