The Afghanistan Project Podcast

Danilo Zak from Church World Service on Afghan refugees - The Afghanistan Project Podcast Ep. 129

Welcome to Episode 129 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today, my guest is Danilo Zak, the Director of Policy at Church World Service.We discuss the value refugees add to society, the successes of the Pacito v Trump lawsuit in forcing the restarting of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, and the suite of changes for Afghans that have taken place in recent months.We also discuss new legislation that may have a positive impact for those impacted by processing pauses.About Danilo Zak:Danilo Zak is the Director of Policy at Church World Service. In this role, he leads the CWS Policy Team on strategic engagement with policymakers to advance pro-refugee, pro-immigrant policies and neutralize harmful proposals. Danilo is responsible for managing and executing a strategic plan to advance a refugee resettlement, asylum, and immigration framework that strengthens U.S. leadership and has a positive impact on people’s lives.About the host: Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/

Afghan operator 'Noori' on life as an ANASOC JTAC - The Afghanistan Project Podcast Ep. 128

Welcome to Episode 128 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today, my guest is 'Noori,' a joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) in the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command.Noori talks about how he was selected for ANASOC, training to become a JTAC, and the ground missions that left him wounded on three different occasions.After becoming a trainer for other ANASOC units, Noori was evacuated from Kabul and talks about adjusting to life in the U.S.About the host: Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/

Former SIGAR team lead Jordan Kane on aid diversion report - The Afghanistan Project Podcast Ep. 127

Welcome to Episode 127 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today, my guest is Jordan Kane, who was the team lead for the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) report on aid diversion by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Jordan and I discuss the changes that SIGAR underwent following the Taliban's takeover and the difficulties Jordan had with censorship as she worked to highlight the Taliban's aid diversion practices through SIGAR.About Jordan:Jordan holds a Bachelors degree from Pomona University and a Masters from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Jordan has worked for the Department of State, Booz Allen Hamilton, USAID, DT Global, and SIGAR.About the host: Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/

Mark Flanigan reunites with Afghan students in withdrawal - The Afghanistan Project Podcast Ep. 126

Welcome to Episode 126 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today, my guest is Mark Flanigan. Mark spent the 2016-17 academic year teaching at a women's liberal arts college in Bangladesh. Four years later, when he was helping Afghans who had been moved to Ft. McCoy following the Taliban's August 2021 takeover, kismet brought him back in contact with several of his Afghan students, who have taken off to a number of prestigious universities since being welcomed into the U.S.Mark talks about the impact that his experience has had on his life.About Mark:Mark Flanigan is a U.S. Army veteran, Rotarian, and educator in Northern Virginia. He previously served as a National Operations Officer with IOM, aiding in the resettlement of Afghan evacuees across the U.S. under Operation Allies Welcome. He completed additional short-term refugee resettlement assignments in Qatar, Bangladesh, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. Mark’s diverse experience includes roles as an AmeriCorps VISTA, a HillVets fellow, a Rotary Peace Fellow in Japan and Thailand, a Presidential Management Fellow (PMF), and a JET Program teacher in Nagasaki. He holds an M.A. in Peace Studies from International Christian University in Tokyo, an M.S. in Public Policy from George Mason University, and a B.A. in Political Science from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.About the host: Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/

Hasht-e Subh editor Hussain Haidari on refugee journey - The Afghanistan Project Podcast Ep. 125

Welcome to Episode 125 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today, my guest is Hasht-e Subh editor Hussain Haidari, who discusses his journey fleeing Afghanistan and becoming a refugee inside the U.S. We talk about Hussain's advocacy for the refugee community, the safety and stability his family has found in the U.S., and his hopes for his homeland.About Hussain:In Afghanistan, Hussain Ali Haidari was an executive officer for former Afghan president Ashraf Gani and a reporter for 8am media. He now continues to write for the site, is an intake and outreach specialist at Minneapolis nonprofit Emerge, and is the reporter and editor for New Home, a weekly refugee newsletter. Hussain is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Social Work at the University of Minnesota.About the host: Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow Beth: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bwbailey85/ on Twitter: https://x.com/BWBailey85 on Substack: https://substack.com/@bwbailey85 on the web: https://bethwbailey.com/