From the beginning of the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad has always been a valuable asset for the U.S. and has played various roles in that country’s policies regarding Afghanistan.
Khalilzad, a prominent American-Afghan diplomat in the final years of the Republic, has had key missions at various stages as the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation has had a profound impact on Afghanistan’s developments.
Khalilzad can be seen as the bridge between the U.S. and the Taliban in the Doha negotiations; negotiations that ultimately led to the collapse of the corrupt Republic regime, the return of the Taliban to power, and the flight of notorious politicians from the country.
Since Khalilzad played a crucial role in the Doha negotiations, it is certain that most of the notorious figures of the Republic, during the negotiations, tried to attract his attention with countless praises and accolades, hoping to secure a better position for themselves in the intra-Afghan talks.
However, after the intra-Afghan negotiations proved fruitless and the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, these individuals blamed Zalmay Khalilzad for the disgraceful fall of the Republic regime and accused him of deceiving the politicians of the overthrown government with numerous harsh reactions.
For this reason, whenever we look at the statements of the fleeing and corrupt figures of the Republic, we will see two different viewpoints from each of them; one viewpoint considers Khalilzad as their savior, while the other considers the same figure as the cause of their misery and the end of their plundering and looting in this country.
For example, Mohammad Mohaqiq, in the early stages of the peace process (October 2018), stated in a meeting in Kabul: “Zalmay Khalilzad is an experienced diplomat, and we hope that with his arrival, a peace that guarantees the rights of all ethnic groups will be achieved.”
These statements were made at a time when Mohaqiq still hoped that Khalilzad could persuade the Taliban to negotiate with the government and consider the interests of the ethnic groups “of all the corrupt figures of the republic.” At that time, he supported Khalilzad’s role as a potential mediator.
In June 2021, Mohaqiq, who had recently come to understand Khalilzad’s true nature, said in a public speech: “We trusted Khalilzad, but he sold us out and turned his back on us.” These remarks clearly reflected his feelings of betrayal regarding Khalilzad’s role.
Amrullah Saleh, another corrupt figure of the Republic, has also expressed differing views on Zalmay Khalilzad. In December 2018, in an interview with Tolo News, he said, “If Khalilzad can bring the Taliban to the negotiating table and reduce violence, it is in the interest of the country’s security.”
These remarks reflected Saleh’s initial positive view, when he still believed that Khalilzad might strengthen the position of Republic officials in the peace process; this optimism was soon replaced by harsh criticisms and numerous accusations.
When Saleh realized the reality of the situation, he suddenly adopted a harsh stance against Khalilzad and referred to him as a deceiver and a two-faced character in every meeting and gathering.
In 2020, he wrote on his X page: “Zalmay Khalilzad hid the secret annexes of the Doha agreement from us and instead of peace, promoted surrendering to the Taliban.”
Saleh once again stated on his X page after the fall of the Republic in September 2021 that: “Khalilzad was the architect of the grand deception. He sold Afghanistan to the Taliban with a smile.” In other instances, he also held Khalilzad directly responsible for the collapse of the Republic and accused him of treason.
The recent visit of the American delegation accompanied by Zalmay Khalilzad to Afghanistan, while it took place when the notorious figures of the Republic expected a different approach from the Trump administration towards the Taliban, was a process that shattered all the restless dreams of the fugitives and completely destroyed their last glimmer of hope.
However, Khalilzad’s visit to Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban has stirred the anger of the Republic’s fugitives and reopened their deep wounds; for this reason, Khalilzad has once again been targeted with a wave of various accusations and slanders, earning him the title of the “Architect of the Fall.”
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