Rephonic
Artwork for Afghanistan

Afghanistan with Roh Yakobi

Roh Yakobi
Afghanistan
Taliban
Human Rights
Women's Rights
Education
Soviet Union
Pakistan
Kabul
Sima Samar
Patriarchy
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
Hazara
Denmark
Corruption
Ashraf Ghani
Gender Equality
Hizb-I Islami
9/11
Peace Negotiations
Al-Qaeda

Keeping Afghanistan in the spotlight through the stories of its people.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes78Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureNewsPolitics

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Artwork for Afghanistan

Latest Episodes

As Hamid Karzai emerged as Afghanistan’s new interim leader, the Taliban’s first regime was collapsing. But behind the scenes, the final days of Taliban rule in their Pashtun heartland, were shaped as much by negotiations as by military force.

In Pa... more

YouTube

On 14 November 2001, a small CIA team and U.S. Special Forces secretly inserted Hamid Karzai into southern Afghanistan. Less than a month later, Karzai would become Afghanistan’s interim leader.

In Part 1 of this exclusive interview, Don Parnell, fo... more

YouTube

In this episode, renowned British photographer Jenny Matthews reflects on nearly four decades of documenting Afghanistan, from the final years of the Soviet occupation to the return of the Taliban.

She recalls arriving in Kabul in 1988, photographin... more

YouTube

In this third and final part of a remarkable conversation, Milton Bearden reflects on the aftermath of the anti-Soviet jihad, the collapse of Afghanistan into civil war, and the decisions that helped shape the world that followed.

He speaks candidly... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Don Parnell
Former CIA Ground Branch chief
Central Intelligence Agency
Episode: The Inside Story of Hamid Karzai’s Rise to Power | Don Parnell (Part 2)
Jenny Matthews
British documentary photographer with extensive Afghanistan work
Episode: From Kabul to Bamiyan - Afghanistan’s War, Ruin and Resilience | Jenny Matthews
Milton Bearden
Former CIA officer who led operations during the Afghan-Soviet conflict
Central Intelligence Agency
Episode: How the CIA Defeated the Soviets in Afghanistan | Milton Bearden (Part 2)
Justin Sapp
Former U.S. Special Forces member who appears as a guest sharing his Afghanistan experiences
Episode: Inside The Secret CIA Mission that Toppled the Taliban - Justin Sapp (Part 3)
Mark Urban
One of Britain's finest journalists, broadcaster, and author of several best-selling books, who has reported extensively from Afghanistan since the late 1980s.
Episode: Mark Urban: I Marched Into Kabul with Ahmad Shah Massoud (E34)
Tom Tugendhat
British MP, former security minister, foreign policy authority
Member of Parliament (UK)
Episode: Tom Tugendhat: The pain and costs of our defeat in Afghanistan (E69)
Charlie Gammell
Former British diplomat who has done extensive work in Afghanistan and wrote The Pearl of Khorasan, A History of Herat
UK Foreign Office (former), author
Episode: Charlie Gammell: How I fell in love with Herat (E68)
James Cowan
Former British army commander; Halo Trust leader
Halo Trust
Episode: James Cowan: From Helmand to HALO - a British Commander’s Remarkable Afghanistan Story (E67)
Al Carns
UK government minister for the armed forces, decorated veteran and former commando
UK Government
Episode: Al Carns: Afghanistan captures your soul (E66)

Host

Roh Yakobi
Host of Afghanistan with Roh Yakobi, guiding conversations with a range of guests on Afghan history, politics, and society.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 87 ratings
  • One of My Favorite Podcasts.

    I really enjoy Roh Yakobi’s podcast. The topics are interesting, the conversations flow naturally, and it never feels forced. Keep it up!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Zak naiman
    United States6 months ago
  • Impressive

    Excellent and extremely knowledgeable guests on the show, very high quality podcast, genial host

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BeerMonster2
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Must listen

    This podcast provides insightful perspective into the ever evolving complexities of Afghanistan and its political landscape. A must listen for anyone interested in politics, history or current affairs!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    henryalanw
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • I recommend!

    One of the best podcasts about Afghanistan, providing a platform for individuals with various connections to the country.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Malek.SH
    Denmark2 years ago
  • Such a Podcast Needed

    We don’t have any podcast covering Afghanistan. This is the one and only and unbiased, informative and eye opening.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sher Mehryar
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

A must-listen for anyone tracking evolving Afghan politics and humanitarian issues.
Excellent guests with credible, grounded insights into Afghan affairs.
Clean, thoughtful analysis that respects complexity over sensationalism.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How the CIA Defeated the Soviets in Afghanistan | Milton Bearden (Part 2)
Q: What were the lessons or mistakes after the Soviets left?
Bearden reflects that the U.S. and Afghan leadership failed to sustain focused engagement, underestimating the fragility of Afghan political structures and the risks of power vacuums that later facilitated the rise of the Taliban.
How the CIA Defeated the Soviets in Afghanistan | Milton Bearden (Part 2)
Q: How did Ahmad Shah Massoud fare in the Washington view during and after the war?
Bearden describes Massoud as a capable commander who also began to look beyond pure military victory toward a political strategy, and notes Bearden's role in funding and supporting him, while acknowledging Massoud's complex and evolving legacy.
How the CIA Defeated the Soviets in Afghanistan | Milton Bearden (Part 2)
Q: Was there a relationship between the CIA and Osama bin Laden during the Afghan-Soviet war?
Bearden indicates there was no direct contact with bin Laden by the CIA, and that bin Laden and Afghan Arabs were largely peripheral to the core CIA effort, although Afghan Arabs did contribute financially and militarily in some cases.
Sir Rodric Braithwaite: Inside the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (Part 2) (E53)
Q: How do you remember the day the Soviets began to withdraw and ultimately left Afghanistan?
The ambassador recalls a blend of relief, ceremony, and strategic ambiguity, noting both the orderly exit and the continuing challenges for Afghanistan and its neighbors.
Charlie Gammell: How I fell in love with Herat (E68)
Q: Should we speak in Farsi or English?
English is preferable to avoid language barriers and ensure smoother communication, as Farsi can cause the speaker to mix in Dari and create confusion during conversations.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Professions
Age Range
Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About Afghanistan

What is Afghanistan about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on Afghanistan's recent history, politics, and humanitarian realities through in-depth interviews with policymakers, diplomats, journalists, military veterans, and aid workers. Episodes frequently unpack Cold War legacies, post-9/11 interventions, peacemaking efforts, and the evolving dynamics of Afghan society under shifting governance. A standout is the host's ability to elicit firsthand perspectives from a diverse set of guests, including former spies, senior diplomats, and field operators, often pairing technical geopolitical details with personal anecdotes to illuminate complex events. Listeners are likely drawn to thoughtful, context-rich discussions that connect historical decisions to current outcomes, with a steady... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Afghanistan?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Afghanistan. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Afghanistan and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Afghanistan get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Afghanistan, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Afghanistan?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Afghanistan, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Afghanistan have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Afghanistan has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Afghanistan?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Afghanistan:

1. The News Agents
2. CONFLICTED
3. The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim
4. The Rest Is Politics
5. Dan Snow's History Hit

How many episodes of Afghanistan are there?

Afghanistan launched 3 years ago and published 78 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Afghanistan?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Afghanistan?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Afghanistan from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Afghanistan?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Afghanistan. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Afghanistan?

Recent guests on Afghanistan include:

1. Don Parnell
2. Jenny Matthews
3. Milton Bearden
4. Justin Sapp
5. Mark Urban
6. Tom Tugendhat
7. Charlie Gammell
8. James Cowan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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