Arif Ammar is an independent researcher on armed conflicts and political violence based in Washington DC. As a regular conflict observer, he monitors armed conflict and political violence in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Middle East while highlighting the human cost of war in the form of civilian casualties and victimization of the vulnerable groups due to state failure in providing safety and protection. He is a former political and strategic communications adviser to the U.S. Embassy and the European Union Special Representative Office in Kabul. While serving in both missions, he has covered Afghan domestic politics such as political parties, reconciliation, regional cooperation, and parliament. Before joining the Western diplomatic missions, Ammar served as a research consultant at the International Crisis Group office in Kabul. He contributed to a number of policy briefing papers produced on insurgency, security sector reform, and the Taliban’s war of words. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Kateb University, Kabul, and a Master’s degree in International Relations from Avicenna University, Kabul.