Andrew Watkins Senior Analyst, Afghanistan Please submit all media inquiries to media@crisisgroup.org or call +32 (0) 2 536 00 71 Crisis Group Role Andrew Watkins is Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for Afghanistan. He focuses on prospects and challenges for a peace process in the Afghan conflict. He joined the organisation in February 2020. Professional Background Before joining Crisis Group, Andrew worked as a political affairs officer for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and as an independent researcher. Prior to working for the UN, Andrew was a conflict analyst and adviser to the humanitarian community in Afghanistan for several years, and previously served as a liaison with Afghan security forces for the U.S. Department of State. Andrew has a BA from Columbia University and an MA from Harvard University. Areas of Expertise Insurgency and terrorism Security sector reform Humanitarian access and engagement in conflict Languages English Spanish Dari In The News 15 Jul 2021 You see a sense of surprise and alarmed reaction from regional powers to the speed of the Taliban advance, but the counterpoint is a lot them saw the writing on the wall as early as [Barack] Obama’s announcement that the US was going to draw down and withdraw nearly a decade ago. The Guardian Andrew Watkins Senior Analyst, Afghanistan 24 Jun 2021 The Taliban are strengthening their chokeholds around major cities [...] The fall of Kabul is not imminent. The Taliban is not an unstoppable military juggernaut. Al Jazeera Andrew Watkins Senior Analyst, Afghanistan 23 Apr 2021 It is unclear how much Iran's essentially defensive, border-oriented interests in Afghanistan would expand, if at all. RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty Andrew Watkins Senior Analyst, Afghanistan 27 Mar 2021 [The legitimacy the Taliban want is] never going to come without engaging with the outside world and the international community. The Washington Post Andrew Watkins Senior Analyst, Afghanistan 8 Dec 2020 If the Taliban want to become a legitimate power in an Afghan state, then they’re going to need to show the world that they take global counterterrorism concerns seriously. The Washington Post Andrew Watkins Senior Analyst, Afghanistan 11 Sep 2020 Posturing from the Taliban... suggests they perceive their current position to be one of great strength. Yahoo News Australia Andrew Watkins Senior Analyst, Afghanistan Latest Updates Podcast / Asia 22 July 2021 The Taliban’s Advance in Afghanistan This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood talks to Crisis Group experts Laurel Miller and Andrew Watkins about the Taliban’s recent gains across Afghanistan as U.S. and NATO forces withdraw, what this means for the war’s trajectory and prospects for peace talks. Q&A / Asia 15 April 2021 How the U.S. Withdrawal Decision Will Affect the Afghan Conflict Washington’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by 11 September spells an end to the U.S. military deployment but not peace. Crisis Group expert Andrew Watkins anticipates that negotiations will likely stall and Afghans will fear an intensified civil war as the U.S. role evolves. Podcast / Asia 8 April 2021 How Afghanistan Views the U.S. Troop Drawdown This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood and Naz Modirzadeh talk to Crisis Group’s Afghanistan expert Andrew Watkins about the looming withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country, how Afghan leaders are preparing and the challenges ahead. Op-Ed / Asia 15 March 2021 There’s No Shortcut to Peace in Afghanistan Washington’s latest idea of a transitional government would be worse than the dysfunctional status quo. Originally published in Foreign Policy Speech / Asia 19 February 2021 Testimony on Afghanistan to the European Parliament In testimony to the European Parliament about efforts to end the war in Afghanistan, Crisis Group expert Andrew Watkins describes the current scale of fighting, Taliban policies and how outside actors can support the peace process. Load more