On this episode of Democracy Sausage, political correspondent Karen Middleton, diplomacy and Afghan politics expert William Maley, and gender equity advocate Virginia Haussegger join Mark Kenny to discuss Australia’s nearly two decades in Afghanistan.
Two years into the war in Afghanistan, United States President George W Bush said it was “mission accomplished”. But nearly two decades after the September 11 attacks, the Taliban has negotiated a favourable agreement with the United States and Australia has closed its embassy, citing security concerns amidst the withdrawal of Australian and international forces. So what was it all for? And, crucially, what does this mean for the Afghan people? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, journalist and author of An unwinnable war: Australia in Afghanistan Karen Middleton, scholar of Afghan politics Emeritus Professor William Maley, and gender equity advocate Virginia Haussegger join Mark Kenny to look back on Australia’s time in Afghanistan and discuss what the future may hold for the country.
Karen Middleton is Chief Political Correspondent for The Saturday Paper.
William Maley AM is Emeritus Professor at The Australian National University, where he served as Professor of Diplomacy at the Coral Bell School of International Affairs from 2003 to 2021, and Foundation Director of the university's Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy.
Virginia Haussegger AM is an award-winning television journalist, writer, and commentator, whose extensive media career spans more than 25 years. She is Chair of the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation and Chief Editor of BroadAgenda at the University of Canberra.
Mark Kenny is a Senior Fellow in the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the university after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times.
Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.
This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mugged by reality: climate denial in retreat
Dutton’s cul-de-sac
A non-aligned movement
Getting the message
Trump’s Australia with Bruce Wolpe
Smashing the status quo
Breaking the housing deadlock with Allegra Spender
Out of the shadows
Rorting the system
Does Australia need a new COVID-19 strategy?
The Queen is dead with Stan Grant
Can Labor be a long-form government?
Running to stand still
The politics of a promise
Is Labor’s long honeymoon over?
A budget under fire
The Liberal Party’s greatest challenge with Trent Zimmerman
What now for the Liberal Party?
Nuclear subs and the Aston fallout with Rex Patrick
Crossbench compromise and ending the climate wars
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Let’s Get Political
The Morning Edition
Australian Politics