Interviewer: Mark Leon Goldberg
Interviewee: *Dr Sharifullah Dorani
Platform: Global Dispatches Podcast
Interview Date: 31 January 2019
Photo credit: Faruk Tokluoglu/Pexels
External Interview
This feature presents a summary of Mark Leon Goldberg’s interview with Dr Sharifullah Dorani about the future of United States policy in Afghanistan, originally published on the Global Dispatches platform.
Key Comment
“In this discussion, Dr Dorani offers clear, historically grounded insights into what has shaped U.S. decision making in Afghanistan—and what may come next.” — Mark Leon Goldberg
Summary of the Interview
In this interview, Mark Leon Goldberg speaks with Dr Sharifullah Dorani about the shifting foundations of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan amid ongoing negotiations with the Taliban in early 2019. Their conversation centres on the emerging diplomatic track in Qatar, where tentative agreements hinted at a possible U.S. withdrawal alongside the Taliban’s potential integration into Afghan politics.
Drawing on his book America in Afghanistan: Foreign Policy and Decision Making from Bush to Obama to Trump, Dr Dorani explains how the Trump administration’s approach both continues and diverges from earlier policies. He outlines how structural issues—American domestic politics, military debates on troop levels, and longstanding misconceptions about Afghanistan—continue to shape U.S. choices.
The discussion also explores the significance of Zalmay Khalilzad’s diplomatic role and the challenges inherent in negotiating from a position shaped by nearly two decades of conflict. Dr Dorani highlights how U.S. forces still play a stabilising role, even as political momentum moves toward reducing their presence.
Overall, the interview provides a concise yet insightful guide to the political context behind U.S.–Taliban talks, offering listeners a clearer understanding of why negotiations have advanced and what obstacles remain.
➡Link to the Interview: Interview with Dr Sharifullah Dorani – What is Next for the United States in Afghanistan?
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*Dr Sharifullah Dorani holds a PhD from Durham University on America’s Afghanistan War, a Master of Laws from University College London, and a degree in law from the University of Northampton, all in the UK. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and two acclaimed books: The Lone Leopard, a novel set in Afghanistan, and America in Afghanistan, published by Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the founder of CEPSAF and serves as the South Asia and Middle Eastern Editor at CESRAN International. All of Dr Dorani’s work is written to the highest academic standards, is widely indexed through Google Scholar, and is available in the libraries of hundreds of institutions worldwide, including Oxford and Harvard.