Share

cover art for Sune Rasmussen: Afghanistan is a part of me

Afghanistan with Roh Yakobi

Sune Rasmussen: Afghanistan is a part of me

Ep. 39

Sune Engel Rasmussen is a Danish journalist and author who lived in Afghanistan, reporting extensively for several international outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian.


In this interview, we discuss his book Twenty Years, which offers an unique intimate insight into two decades of Western involvement in Afghanistan, told through the stories and struggles of young men and women affected by it, along with his own experiences of living and working in the country.


📺 Watch on YouTube

Producer: Roh Yakobi

Music ©: Dawood Sarkhosh

Email: hello@rohyakobi.com

Instagram: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobi

X: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobi



More episodes

View all episodes

  • 48. Jonathan Lee: What is Afghanistan? (Part 3) Hazara Genocide

    36:57||Ep. 48
    Dr Jonathan L. Lee is a social and cultural historian and a leading authority on the history of Afghanistan. He lived in Afghanistan and travelled widely across the country for many years.He is the author of The Journals of Edward Stirling in Persia and Afghanistan, 1828-1829, The Ancient Supremacy: Bukhara, Afghanistan and the Battle for Balkh, 1731-1901, Amazing Wonders of Afghanistan, and Afghanistan: A History from 1260 to the Present.In this third part, he delves into the Hazara genocide of the 1890s and its lasting impact on the community and their identity. He compares it with the Armenian genocide, discusses his books, and shares personal stories from Afghanistan, and more. 📺 Watch on YouTubeProducer | Host: Roh YakobiAssistant Produce/Researcher: Sa-aadat YakobiMusic ©: Dawood SarkhoshEmail: hello@rohyakobi.comInstagram: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobiX: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobi
  • 47. Jonathan Lee: What is Afghanistan? (Part 2) Drinking Blood

    38:49||Ep. 47
    Dr Jonathan L. Lee is a social and cultural historian and a leading authority on the history of Afghanistan. He lived in Afghanistan and travelled widely across the country for many years.He is the author of The Journals of Edward Stirling in Persia and Afghanistan, 1828-1829, The Ancient Supremacy: Bukhara, Afghanistan and the Battle for Balkh, 1731-1901, Amazing Wonders of Afghanistan, and Afghanistan: A History from 1260 to the Present.In this second part, we continue the conversation on who founded the country and the state, who named the country and drew its borders, the role of the British Empire in this process, the role of women in the country’s history, and the extraordinary story of the woman who wanted to drink her son’s blood over an inheritance dispute.📺 Watch on YouTubeProducer | Host: Roh YakobiAssistant Produce/Researcher: Sa-aadat YakobiMusic ©: Dawood SarkhoshEmail: hello@rohyakobi.comInstagram: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobiX: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobi
  • 46. Jonathan Lee: What is Afghanistan? (Part 1) The Hippies

    41:54||Ep. 46
    Dr Jonathan L. Lee is a social and cultural historian and a leading authority on the history of Afghanistan. He lived in Afghanistan and travelled widely across the country for many years.He is the author of The Journals of Edward Stirling in Persia and Afghanistan, 1828-1829, The Ancient Supremacy: Bukhara, Afghanistan and the Battle for Balkh, 1731-1901, Amazing Wonders of Afghanistan, and Afghanistan: A History from 1260 to the Present.In this first part of the interview, he tells us how he found Afghanistan when he first arrived, what attracted the hippies, where many died, and then takes us through the events and circumstances that led to the foundation of Afghanistan in the 18th century.📺 Watch on YouTubeProducer | Host: Roh YakobiAssistant Producer: Sa-aadat YakobiMusic ©: Dawood SarkhoshEmail: hello@rohyakobi.comInstagram: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobiX: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobi
  • 45. Toby Harnden: Inside the CIA's first combat team in Afghanistan (Part 2)

    38:53||Ep. 45
    Toby Harnden is an award-winning journalist and author of 'Dead Men Risen' and 'First Casualty'.In this second part of the interview, we continue the story of the fall of Mazar-i-Sharif on 9th November 2001. In the days that followed, over 400 captured Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters revolted at Qala-i-Jangi, where they were being held, killing Mike Spann, and Hazara and Uzbek guards. The uprising lasted for six days, and only 86 Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters survived, including John Walker Lindh, also known as the American Taliban. The episode delves into their story, Toby's own reflections and more.📺 Watch on YouTubeProducer | Host: Roh YakobiMusic ©: Dawood SarkhoshEmail: hello@rohyakobi.comInstagram: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobiX: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobi
  • 44. Toby Harnden: Inside the CIA's first combat team in Afghanistan (Part 1)

    48:37||Ep. 44
    Toby Harnden is an award-winning journalist and author of Dead Men Risen and First Casualty. In this first part of the interview, he shares his story of Afghanistan and the inside story of Team Alpha—a group of eight CIA operatives who landed in the mountains of northern Afghanistan to join the forces of General Abdul Rashid Dostum and begin the war to avenge the 9/11 attacks. They fought their way to the capture of the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, where, soon after, the team suffered their—and America’s—first casualty of the campaign, a story that will be told in part 2.📺 Watch on YouTubeProducer | Host: Roh YakobiMusic ©: Dawood SarkhoshEmail: hello@rohyakobi.comInstagram: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobiX: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobi
  • 43. رضا سرور: چگونه بورسیه بگیریم (Farsi Special)

    01:32:30||Ep. 43
    رضا سرور یکی از دانش‌آموختگان برنامه‌ی تحصیلی فولبرایت و مدیر پیشین پذیرش در دانشگاه آمریکایی افغانستان و در حال حاضر، دانشجوی دکترای دانشگاه Texas A&M ایالت تگزاس آمریکاست. او تجربه‌ی گسترده‌ در کمک به دانشجویان برای درخواست و دریافت بورسیه‌های تحصیلی در خارج از افغانستان دارد. در این گفت‌وگو، او داستان شخصی خود را به اشتراک می‌گذارد و یک راهنمای جامع برای دستیابی به بورسیه‌های تحصیلی ارائه می‌دهد.📺 Watch on YouTubeProducer: Roh YakobiMusic ©: Dawood SarkhoshEmail: hello@rohyakobi.comInstagram: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobiX: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobi
  • 42. Shaharzad Akbar: The Taliban have a vision for Afghanistan

    53:49||Ep. 42
    Shaharzad Akbar is the Executive Director of Rawadari and the former Chair of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. In this interview, she reflects on and reviews 2024, shares her analysis of the current situation, discusses what the future may hold for Afghanistan in the year ahead, and her expresses hopes for the country, particularly women and girls.📺 Watch on YouTubeProducer: Roh YakobiMusic ©: Dawood SarkhoshEmail: hello@rohyakobi.comInstagram: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobiX: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobi
  • 41. Saad Mohseni: The extraordinary life of a media visionary who changed Afghanistan

    56:10||Ep. 41
    Saad Mohseni is the Chairman and CEO of Moby Group, and the author of 'Radio Free Afghanistan'. Born in London, raised in Kabul, Tokyo and Melbourne, Saad Mohseni has been one of the most influential figures in Afghanistan's recent history, transforming Afghanistan and its culture by revolutionising the country's media landscape.In this interview, he shares his remarkable story, how he brought new media to Afghanistan, its impacts and consequences, as well as sharing his views on the current situation in the country. 📺 Watch on YouTubeProducer: Roh YakobiMusic ©: Dawood SarkhoshEmail: hello@rohyakobi.comInstagram: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobiX: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobi
  • 40. Gen H.R. McMaster: Trump 2.0, Afghanistan and the Taliban

    34:57||Ep. 40
    General H.R. McMaster served as Donald Trump's National Security Advisor for 14 months during his first term and he formulated America's South Asia Strategy, which Trump abandoned after McMaster's departure. In this interview, he discusses the implications of the second Trump presidency for the world, looks back at the failure in Afghanistan and whether the country will feature in the new administration's foreign and security policy. He also shares his thoughts on the future of Afghanistan and the contributions he wants to make. 📺 Watch on YouTubeProducer: Roh YakobiMusic ©: Dawood SarkhoshEmail: hello@rohyakobi.comInstagram: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobiX: @TheAfgPod & @RohYakobi