Qantara.de - Dialog mit der islamischen Welt

Two decades after the attacks of 11 September 2001, the West faces the shattered debris of its failure – not only in Afghanistan, but also in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen. What went wrong in the war on terror? And what lessons can Europe learn from it? Essay by Kristin HelbergMore

One thing the regime in Tehran has in common with the Taliban is that they both dislike the USA. But apart from that, Tehran has a number of issues with its neighbour, writes Katajun Amirpur, professor of Islamic Studies at the University of CologneMore

After the Taliban takeover, people in Afghanistan are still trying to leave the country in droves. But there's resistance, too: many Afghans have taken to the streets to protest against the militant Islamist group. More...More

The swift fall of Kabul recalls the ignominious fall of Saigon in 1975. Beyond the local consequences – widespread reprisals, harsh repression of women and girls, and massive refugee flows – America’s strategic and moral failure in Afghanistan will reinforce questions about U.S. reliability among friends and foes alike. By Richard HaassMore

United States and NATO troops are leaving Afghanistan after 20 years, despite the fact that the Taliban is still advancing. The German Bundeswehr is already out. Sandra Petersmann examines the key issuesMore

The neo-Ottomanism propagated by Erdogan has long been more than rhetoric and symbolic politics. This can be seen from recent developments in parts of northern Syria, where Turkey is in the process of permanently securing its sphere of influence. Joseph Croitoru reportsMore

Razan Zeitouneh fought for justice in Syria and made enemies on all sides. Then she disappeared without a trace. Her fate remains unknown to this day. On the tenth anniversary of the revolution, Lewis Sanders, Birgitta Schulke-Gill, Wafaa Al Badry and Julia Bayer look back on her lifeMore