Francesc Vendrell in Conversation: Mediation in Afghanistan 2000–2008

Abstract

This article is a transcript of a conversation between Francesc Vendrell, the former UN and EU meditator who dealt with many conflicts, particularly in Afghanistan and East Timor, and David Loyn, visiting Senior Fellow in the War Studies Department at King's College London, and a former BBC Bureau Chief in South Asia and correspondent to Afghanistan. This conversation, which took place in 2019, focuses on Vendrell's role in the Afghanistan situation from 2000 under Taliban rule, where he engaged in mediation efforts with the Taliban, to the period of the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent development of a new constitution and government. It covers some of the reasons for the weaknesses of the government that developed after 9/11. It also covers the development of direct talks between the US and Iran during the period.