The Afghanistan Project Podcast cover art

The Afghanistan Project Podcast

The Afghanistan Project Podcast

Written by: Mikael Cook
Listen for free

About this listen

Welcome to The Afghanistan Project Podcast, where hosts Mikael Cook and Beth Bailey highlight the struggles of Afghans living under Taliban rule, and the efforts of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and political affiliations who have stepped up to provide support to the people of Afghanistan in the chaos that followed the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.Mikael Cook World
Episodes
  • Danilo Zak from Church World Service on Afghan refugees - The Afghanistan Project Podcast Ep. 129
    Feb 23 2026

    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/

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Afghan operator 'Noori' on life as an ANASOC JTAC - The Afghanistan Project Podcast Ep. 128
    Feb 16 2026

    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/

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 52 mins
  • Former SIGAR team lead Jordan Kane on aid diversion report - The Afghanistan Project Podcast Ep. 127
    Feb 9 2026

    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/

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 17 mins
No reviews yet