Fawaz A. Gerges for PS Say More

Fawaz A. Gerges specifies what the West owes Afghanistan, considers the likely regional impact of the Taliban’s return to power, and more. The PS Say More Newsletter | [View this message in a web browser]( [PS Say More]( This week in Say More, PS talks with Fawaz A. Gerges, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. To read the full interview – in which Gerges specifies what the West owes Afghanistan, considers the likely regional impact of the Taliban’s return to power, and offers historical insights that could help to guide a peaceful reordering of Middle Eastern politics – [click here](. Fawaz A. Gerges Says More… Syndicate: You recently [wrote]( that while “al-Qaeda does have some chance of benefiting from the Taliban’s return to power” (though not nearly as much as many seem to believe ), “the same cannot be said” for the [Islamic State]( which the Taliban “fiercely opposes.” Since then, the local arm of ISIS – known as Islamic State-Khorasan, or ISIS-K – carried out a devastating attack on Kabul airport. Do you think the Taliban will be able to neutralize groups like ISIS-K and consolidate control of Afghanistan, or will the instability wrought by its takeover open the way for its enemies to gain ground? What should the international community do to mitigate the risks of further turmoil? Fawaz A. Gerges: Since 2015, the Taliban and ISIS-K have been engaged in a fierce battle for hegemony in Afghanistan, particularly in the eastern Nangarhar province. The clash is not just about territorial control; it is a struggle over... [Continue reading]( [Morning in the Middle East?]( [Morning in the Middle East?]( By Fawaz A. Gerges International relations are shifting across the Middle East as regional powers adapt to America's retrenchment and China's growing influence. Although the region could become the site of another great-power competition, it also has a chance to pursue diplomatic openings and new security arrangements. By the Way... PS: Your forthcoming book, The Hundred Years’ War for Control of the Middle East: From Sykes-Picot to the Deal of the Century, explores the past century of power struggles in the region. Why did you think this history needed to be re-examined and re-told now? Are there particular historical insights that could help to guide a peaceful reordering of regional politics? FG: The agency of everyday people in the Middle East and North Africa is substantially shaped by three political dynamics: constant and intense... [Continue reading]( Previously in Say More [Climate Week Special Edition]( [Climate Week Special Edition]( with Ann Pettifor, Mamphela Ramphele, and Kenneth Rogoff In this special Say More feature, three leading experts – Director of Policy Research in Macroeconomics [Ann Pettifor]( former World Bank Managing Director [Mamphela Ramphele]( and Harvard professor [Kenneth Rogoff]( – examine the new green economics the world needs, and how public finance fits into it. [Check out the Say More archive]( Previously in Opinion Has It [Economic Crisis in the Anthropocene]( [Economic Crisis in the Anthropocene]( [Adam Tooze]( joins host [Elmira Bayrasli]( in this PS podcast The COVID-19 pandemic triggered the swiftest and most comprehensive contraction of global economic activity ever. With crises set to proliferate – not least because of climate change – the successes and failures of the pandemic response should serve as lessons for governments everywhere. Listen on [PS]( [Acast]( [Apple]( [Google]( [Spotify]( and all other listening apps. Or [read the transcript](. [Check out the Opinion Has It archive]( [PS. The latest on politics for less than $9 a month.]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( Project Syndicate publishes and provides, on a not-for-profit basis, original commentary by the world's leading thinkers to more than 500 media outlets in over 150 countries. This newsletter is a service of [Project Syndicate](. [Change your newsletter preferences](. Follow us on [Facebook]( [Twitter]( and [YouTube](. © Project Syndicate, all rights reserved. [Unsubscribe from all newsletters](.