Michael is joined by Professor William Maley, former Professor of Diplomacy at ANU and author of numerous books including ‘Diplomacy, Communication, and Peace’, about reports that hundreds of Afghans linked to Australian-funded “hearts and minds” projects will be left vulnerable to advancing Taliban forces.

After being denied access to a ­special visa program for those who supported Australia’s two-decade presence in the country, Professor Maley, says the government had taken “a highly legalistic approach” in determining who could apply for Locally Engaged Employee (LEE) visas.

“The Taliban doesn’t care if a person was an employee or a subcontractor. It’s a meaningless distinction from their point of view,” he said.

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