The Afghanistan Project Podcast

Mikael Cook
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The Afghanistan Project Podcast

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.

  1. 1 HR. AGO

    Immigration concerns for Afghans in US with lawyer Alison Tabor - The Afghanistan Project Podcast

    Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. My guest today is Alison Tabor, a Supervising Attorney with Resettlement Action DC (REACT DC) and a Principal Attorney with AGT LAW PLLC. Alison delivers excellent information about how various groups of Afghans in the U.S. are impacted by the latest executive orders that have stopped processing of the USRAP, halted foreign funds, and impacted refugee resettlement and immigration. Alison advises all Afghans without asylum or a Green Card to find an attorney who can help them with their cases. A list of resources can be found here: Pro bono legal service providers who represent people in removal proceedings at immigration courts (EOIR): https://www.justice.gov/eoir/list-pro-bono-legal-service-providers Pro bono legal service providers who assist people in custody with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the border: https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1582586/dl?inline= Pro bono legal service providers for remote credible fear interview (CFI): https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1571576/dl?inline= NAKASEC 24/7 HOTLINE: 1-844-500-3222 (No Dari/Pashto interpretation available) National Immigration Legal Services Directory - Nonprofit Resource Center https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/nonprofit/legaldirectory/ 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 her on Instagram or X ⁠@BWBailey85⁠.

    40 min

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    P-2 USRAP applicant Omid Eztarabi on executive order exemptions - The Afghanistan Project Podcast

    Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Our guest today is Omid Eztarabi, a Social Activist and Human Rights Defender who has been participating in humanitarian efforts to improve civil society and women’s rights in Afghanistan since 2018, working for organization like the International Civil Society Action Network, the Afghan Women Organization for Equality, and Youth Entrepreneurial Services. Omid has been actively involved in program development and human rights initiatives in collaboration with various German organizations, including the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, The Berlin Senate, Das Afghanistan Komitee, The German Institute for Human Rights, Deutsche Gesellschaft, German Dream, Impact Civil Society Research and Development, and the German Institute for Foreign Relations. Omid talks about his pleas to the U.S. people and leaders for exemptions to executive orders that impact Afghan applicants to the US Refugee Admissions Program and that have also impacted Special Immigrant Visa applicants. 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 her on Instagram or X ⁠@BWBailey85⁠. Find her work at https://bethwbailey.com/

    33 min

  3. 5 DAYS AGO

    Afghan resettlement support under new executive orders - The Afghanistan Project Podcast

    Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Our guests today are Sarah Cady, the CEO of Resettlement Action DC (REACT DC), Ellen Smith, the Executive Director of Keeping Our Promise, Inc. and John Moses, the co-founder of Massachusetts Afghan Alliance.   We discuss the impact new executive orders and stop work orders have had for each organization and the Afghans they support. We also work to dispel pervasive myths about the Afghan refugee population, and talk about what organizations need to get through the 90-day pause in processing.   An update - Beth referenced in the episode that 5 Afghan intel professionals had been found murdered, presumably by the Taliban, recently. In fact, 5 Afghans were arrested by Taliban intelligence but only 3 Afghans were found murdered, all of whom worked for the former ministry of the interior. Find the story here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFSBrcIx1Xq/ About the guests: Keeping Our Promise: https://www.keepingourpromise.org/                                     https://www.keepingourpromise.org/donate.html   Massachusetts Afghan Alliance:                                     https://massafghanalliance.org/                                     https://massafghanalliance.org/donate             REACT DC:                                     https://www.reactdc.org/                                     https://donorbox.org/general-support-contribution?designation=General%20Support%20Contribution&default_interval=o   About the Akrami family: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2976254/after-siv-rejection-family-reunites-and-discovers-state-department-failure/ https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/beltway-confidential/2980726/state-department-must-reopen-siv-case-repair-separation/   About the Ahmadi family, whose family members were wrongfully killed by a U.S. Reaper strike: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/2837363/us-no-answer-relocation-compensation-afghanistan-drone-strike-victim-family/   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 her on Instagram or X ⁠@BWBailey85⁠.

    1h 2m

  4. JAN 25

    Trump Refugee Executive Orders ft Shawn VanDiver & Kate Kovarovic - The Afghanistan Project Podcast

    Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.   Our guests today are Shawn VanDiver and Kate Kovarovic, giving their input on new executive orders that impact our Afghan allies as well as our already overstretched volunteers.   Shawn VanDiver is founder and president of the #AfghanEvac coalition, an umbrella of multiple volunteers and professionals across the government and private sector who aim to fulfill the promises the U.S. made to its Afghan allies. Kate Kovarovic is the former Director of Resilience Programming for the #AfghanEvac coalition.   Referenced in the episode: Family Reunification Episode with Terry Symula, John Moses, and Elizabeth Lynn: https://youtu.be/SIL9O2lWpnc?si=SCyFbqs07ZAjAD1X Family Reunification cases involving Zero Units with Geeta Bakshi: https://youtu.be/onETEgyIfRk?si=jAgO5Ah1PgaVmEr6 About Shawn VanDiver and #AfghanEvac: Follow Shawn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shawnjvandiver Follow #AfghanEvac on Twitter https://twitter.com/afghanevac Or on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/afghanevac/ Or on their website: https://afghanevac.org/   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 her on Instagram or X ⁠@BWBailey85⁠.

    54 min

  5. JAN 24

    Refugee Processing Executive Order with Andy Sullivan from No One Left Behind

    Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.   Our guest today is Andy Sullivan, the Chief Advocacy Officer for No One Left Behind, a nonprofit organization that supports the wartime allies whom we promised assistance through the special immigrant visa program.   Andy takes listeners through two new Trump administration executive orders that are impacting or may impact our Afghan allies, explaining who is impacted by the orders (US Refugee Admissions Program applicants), and who as yet is exempted from the pause (SIV applicants).   We discuss efforts to continue supporting our allies, the incredible service our Afghan supporters have provided to us and continue to provide after arriving on U.S. soil.   Find No One Left Behind via: Twitter: https://twitter.com/n1leftbehind Website: http://nooneleft.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/no-one-left-behind/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nooneleftbehindus/   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 her on Instagram or X ⁠@BWBailey85⁠.   For Afghan listeners: If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, theafghanistanprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.

    34 min

  6. JAN 20

    Media under the Taliban - Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization - The Afghanistan Project Podcast Ep. 80

    Welcome to Episode 80 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’s guests are two members of the Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization (AJSO), a nonprofit organization based in Germany. Freshta Hemmati is an Afghan journalist and women's rights activist. She holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism and a master's in International Relations, specializing in diplomacy. Over her eight-year career in journalism in Afghanistan, she has significantly contributed as an investigative journalist, a political programs radio host, and a skilled communications expert in various Afghan media outlets and international initiatives. Following her relocation to Canada due to the Taliban's takeover, she has collaborated with the Canadian provincial government, and currently, she serves as the CEO of the Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization (AJSO) and leads the advocacy committee for female journalists within AJSO. Masud is an Afghan journalist who remains in his homeland and is joining us today on condition that we do not show his face or identify him.   Today’s episode focuses on the dangers for journalists covering the Taliban’s iron-fisted rule in Afghanistan, and the creation of the AJSO as a means for Afghan journalists to work with Western journalists to report the ground truth in their homeland. We discuss women’s issues as well as Freshta’s story of escaping the country just prior to the Taliban’s ban on travel for unaccompanied women.   Find the AJSO via: Website: www.ajso.org E-mail: official@ajso.org  Facebook: www.facebook.com/AfghanistanJSO Twitter: www.twitter.com/AfghanistanJSO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afghanistanjso2022   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 her on Instagram or X ⁠@BWBailey85⁠.

    47 min

  7. JAN 13

    CIA Team Alpha members fight for Afghan counterparts: The Afghanistan Project Podcast Ep. 79

    Welcome to Episode 79 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’s guests are members of Team Alpha, the CIA’s original eight-man team of analysts, linguists, warriors, and tribal experts who went into Afghanistan to defeat al Qaeda in the days immediately following Sept. 11, 2001. David Tyson retired from the CIA Directorate of Operations in 2020 after a 25-year career at the Agency that involved numerous overseas deployments and two rotations as the Chief of Station. David received the CIA’s Distinguished Intelligence Cross, the Agency’s highest award for valor, and the Agency’s Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal. He also served in the US Army, both as an enlisted servicemember and an officer. Justin Sapp is a contingency strategist for Constellis, and recently retired as a US Army Green Beret Colonel following 30 years of exceptionally distinguished service. He received numerous military decorations during his service, including the Defense Superior Service Award and the Bronze Star with “V” device. In this episode, David and Justin talk about their deployment to Afghanistan post-9/11 and the Afghan teammates who enabled their progress in fighting back against al Qaeda. The majority of our episode focuses on Badger Six, the nonprofit that Team Alpha and supporters have created in order to assist the families of the 30-35 Afghans who were indispensable to Team Alpha, and who are currently in the pipeline for access to U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. We discuss the impediments facing team members, and their success when they reach the U.S. Finally, Justin and David weigh in on their feelings about the resurgence of al Qaeda, the emergence of ISIS-K, and the return of pre-9/11 conditions for women inside Afghanistan. Find Badger Six at their website: https://badgersix.org/ 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 her on Instagram or X ⁠@BWBailey85⁠.

    1h 19m

  8. JAN 6

    Continued atrocities in Afghanistan and looking back on year two of The Afghanistan Project Podcast

    Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today, we're talking about recent developments in Afghanistan  involving decrees targeting Afghan women and border skirmishes between the Taliban and Pakistan. Beth also discusses the incredible guests who came on during the last 12 months and some of the incredible stories and updates they shared.   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 her on Instagram or X ⁠@BWBailey85⁠.

    31 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

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.

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