Controlling the Narrative Lynne O’Donnell talks with Mina Sharif, author, activist, women’s rights campaigner, educator and mentor. They discuss who controls the narrative and who speaks for Afghanistan’s people when the Taliban appear to have seized control not only of the country but of the message, too. Have a listen

Media Meltdown Lynne O’Donnell talks with Zahra Joya, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Rukhshana Media, the independent news organisation she established  and now runs in exile. She talks about the Taliban’s strangulation of free speech and media in Afghanistan, the collusion of media owners, and the role of the exiled media in keeping the world’s attention on her homeland. Have a listen

Terror Inc Lynne O’Donnell talks with conflict consultant Scott Richards about the Taliban’s transformation of Afghanistan into a nexus of extremism and terrorism, the group’s relationship with Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the danger they present to a world that just isn’t interested in facing up to the reality. Have a listen.

Busting Stereotypes Lynne talks with Bushra Gohar, a former member of Pakistan’s parliament. She is active in Pashtun politics, and speaks out for the rights of women and other repressed groups. She talks vehemently about the damaging impact of historic stereotyping of Pashtuns as warriors, and the traditional de-humanisation of women dressed up as respect. She uses a gentle voice to deliver harsh admonitions. Have a listen:

Media Matters Lynne O’Donnell talks with Waliullah Rahmani, a media entrepreneur and press freedom advocate who talks about the Taliban’s ideology-driven transformation of Afghanistan into a surveillance state. Have a listen

What Goes Around Comes Around Lynne O’Donnell talks to Sima Samar, who has written a book about her extraordinary life of service to the people, and particularly the women, of Afghanistan. Let down by their own leaders, and by the international community, she says, now they have to start again on their own terms. Have a listen:

Screaming Into Silence On the Insights Podcast, Lynne O’Donnell is joined by Lauryn Oates, Executive Director of Right To Learn Afghanistan, to discuss the impact of the Taliban’s education policy -- bans for girls, extremism for boys. Have a listen

Lynne O’Donnell is joined from Kabul by Abid Humayun, a development and peace-building expert who has worked in Afghanistan’s charity sector for more than a decade. He talks about the effectiveness of international aid and the  agenda of the aid sector, and the devastating impact that half a century of war has had on the Afghan people. And his belief that Afghans can rebuild their country on their own terms. Have a listen

Lynne is joined by Jeff Grieco, President and CEO of the Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce. He’s just made his third visit to Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, and talks about the good, the bad and the utterly unacceptable.  Have a listen.

Lynne O’Donnell is joined by Javed Noorani, the premier expert on Afghanistan’s minerals and mining sector. His research and analysis has been ground-breaking, and there is little he doesn’t know about the potential and the pitfalls of the country’s vast natural resources.

Lynne presents an interview, recorded in 2021 before the fall of the Republic of Afghanistan at the small museum he curated to preserve the memories of people killed during decades of conflict. It was called the Afghanistan Centre for Memory and Dialogue. It no longer exists, closed down by the Taliban almost immediately after they re-took control.

Lynne talks with Ahmad Shuja, scholar, lawyer, human rights advocate, author, former official in the fallen government of Afghanistan. He discusses the reasons for the republic’s failure, the post-US era in Afghanistan, and how to get to post-Taliban-2.0. Have a listen

For this week’s Insights podcast, Lynne talks with Shah Mohammad Mehrabi. He is a professor of economics and a co-trustee of the Afghan Fund, which was set up two years ago in Switzerland to administer $3.5 billion of Afghanistan’s foreign exchange reserves. He has all the numbers at his fingers tips and refers to them to make a series of points about the economy before and after the fall of the republic. Without explicit reference to the way women have been locked out of economic activity by the Taliban regime, he says that without them, true progress will be very difficult, if not impossible. Have a listen

Lynne is joined by Hans-Jakob Schindler, Co-Director of the Counter Extremism Project. He began tracking and observing Al Qaeda and the Taliban before most people even knew they existed. And now that they’re back, he points out that it’s the same individuals with the same ideology and the same intentions. He’s seen and heard it all before, and he doesn’t pull his punches.

The Great Al Qaeda Comeback Lynne talks with Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, editor of the Long War Journal and host of the podcast Generation Jihad. He’s had a keen eye on Al Qaeda since the 9-11 attacks and nowadays is watching the terrorist group as it reclaims its space in Afghanistan once more as friend, ally, and adviser to the Taliban. Have a listen

Lynne talks with Sarah Adams, a former CIA “targeter” and co-author of “Benghazi: Know They Enemy,” a deep dive into the 2012 attack on US diplomatic and agency assets in Libya. Her experience in Benghazi informs her belief that jihad is a generational business. To be effective, counter terrorism measures need to look at the prevalence of family ties among terrorists, and highlight the importance of understanding these relationships, she says.

Lynne is joined by Amin Karim, who has been involved in politics in Afghanistan all his adult life. Since the collapse of the republic in 2021, he has been spending his time in Kabul on humanitarian work, and trying to convince the Taliban leadership to create an inclusive governance structure acceptable to all Afghan people. His tenacity is admirable.  Have a listen.

Lynne is talking to Laura Deitz, an American in London who, since the collapse of the republic government in Afghanistan, has been helping some of the most vulnerable to find a path to safety outside the country. She is one of many volunteers worldwide who have dedicated their time, resources and energy to the difficult, life-saving work of evacuation. So far, she’s helped more than 300 people leave Afghanistan and sees no sign that her work will be done any time soon.

This week, Lynne talks to Mohsin Dawar, a Pakistani human rights activist, former parliamentarian, and founder of the National Democratic Movement. He’s from North Waziristan, which borders Afghanistan and is bearing the brunt of what he calls “Project Taliban” — the violent return of Islamist extremism that is bringing war back to his homeland.

Join Lynne O’Donnell for 8AM’s podcast series, Insights. Lynne talks with generals, diplomats, soldiers, journalists, politicians, activists, people who have front row seats for conflicts around the world, and citizens with a story to tell, happy or sad. For this first series, Afghanistan is the focus. Lynne and her guests talk about the collapse of the republic in August, 2021, and the impact since — for the people of Afghanistan, for the security of the region, for the safety of the world. It’s important, interesting and insightful. This week, Lynne is joined by, the director of global policy at the George W. Bush Institute. Have a listen