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Frud Bezhan

Frud Bezhan is the senior regional editor for the Near East and Central Asia at RFE/RL. Previously, he was a correspondent and reported from Afghanistan, Turkey, and Kosovo. Prior to joining RFE/RL in 2012, he worked as a freelance journalist in Afghanistan and contributed to several Australian newspapers.

BezhanF@rferl.org

Also by Frud Bezhan

December 23, 2020
Balochistan, PTM, Kabul: Your Briefing From Afghanistan And Pakistan

This week’s Gandhara Briefing gives you the inside stories on Karima Baloch and the PTM, and takes you back to the Kabul of the 1970s.
December 22, 2020
U.S. Sanctions Put Spotlight On Iran's International Network Of Religious Seminaries

U.S. sanctions have put the spotlight on the activities of Iran's Al-Mustafa International University, a network of religious seminaries that has been accused of espionage and the recruitment of foreign fighters.
December 09, 2020
Afghan Security Forces Hit By Surge Of Taliban Suicide Car Bombings

Experts in Afghanistan have documented a surge in the number of suicide car bombings carried out by the Taliban.
December 01, 2020
Afghan Migrants Could Face 'Shocking' Punishments In Iran Under Draft Law

New legislation proposed in Iran would impose 25-year jail terms on illegal migrants while also giving officials the authority to fire on vehicles suspected of carrying asylum seekers.
December 01, 2020
Afghan Migrants Could Face 'Shocking' Punishments In Iran Under Draft Law

New legislation proposed in Iran would impose 25-year jail terms on illegal migrants while also giving officials the authority to fire on vehicles suspected of carrying asylum seekers.
November 25, 2020
‘Perfect Storm’ Could Compel Pakistan To Change Status Of Disputed Territory In Kashmir

Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan territory, part of the larger Kashmir region, has been in legal limbo for decades. But that could change as Islamabad plans to make the region the country's fifth province, a move that could have domestic and regional consequences.
November 19, 2020
Emboldening The Taliban? Accelerated U.S. Troop Pullout Risks Increased Violence In Afghanistan

The Trump administration’s accelerated withdrawal from Afghanistan will embolden the Taliban and undermine peace efforts aimed at ending the war, analysts say.
November 14, 2020
Afghanistan Pinned Hopes For Change On Biden, But U.S. Likely To Stay Course Set By Trump

The Afghan government is hoping that an administration under Joe Biden will slow down the U.S. exit from Afghanistan and try to reset the peace process so that it can take place on terms that are kinder to Kabul. But experts say Kabul is likely to be disappointed.
November 13, 2020
Afghanistan Hit By Surge Of Targeted Killings, Assassinations

There has been a spike in the number of targeted killings in Afghanistan despite peace efforts aimed at ending the war.
October 02, 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 16, 2020
Exclusive: Taliban's Expanding 'Financial Power' Could Make It 'Impervious' To Pressure, Confidential 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 confidential report seen by RFE/RL.
September 10, 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 27, 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? Long-Delayed Afghan Peace Talks Hit By New 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 05, 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 16, 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 12, 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.

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