Afghanistan: Two Decades of War and Its Legacy

Jon Lee Anderson has documented Afghanistan’s recent history like few others, from the late 1980s mujahideen resistance to the post 9/11 intervention and the Taliban’s return in 2021. His new book, To Lose a War, brings together almost twenty-five years of reporting, combining earlier dispatches with new material to present a clear, chronological account of how the conflict unfolded and why it ended in collapse.

He is joined by Saima Mohsin, Sky News Presenter, whose long-standing reporting across Afghanistan and Pakistan provides essential regional insight, and and Tamana Ayazi, Emmy-Winning Filmmaker.

Together, the panel will examine the early expectations of 2001, the misjudgements and strategic shifts that shaped the war, and the legacy now confronting Afghans and Western policymakers. They will also consider the regional implications of Taliban rule, the future of media and civil society, and what meaningful international engagement with Afghanistan might look like.

Jon Lee Anderson has been…