Ex-Minister: Khalilzad’s Early Service ‘Unforgettable,’ Doha Deal a Historic Mistake

ADN

Former Afghan Interior Minister and special envoy Umar Daudzai has offered a nuanced but critical assessment of Zalmay Khalilzad, the Afghan-American diplomat who played a central role in Afghanistan’s post-2001 reconstruction and later peace negotiations with the Taliban.

Born in Mazar-i-Sharif and later serving in top U.S. government roles, Khalilzad became the highest-ranking Afghan-American in Washington. He was U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan (2003–2005), Iraq, and the United Nations, and later served as the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, leading the negotiations with the Taliban in Doha.

Daudzai praised Khalilzad’s early efforts between 2001 and 2005 as “unforgettable,” noting that he helped reintroduce Afghanistan to the international community, secured significant aid, and made the country more prominent on the global stage. 

“During this time he served Afghanistan a lot,” Daudzai recalled.

But Daudzai’s tone shifted when describing Khalilzad’s later involvement in Afghan politics. After postings in Iraq and at the United Nations, Khalilzad returned to Afghanistan with increasing influence on internal affairs. Daudzai argued that this intervention strained relations with Afghan leaders, particularly with President Ashraf Ghani. 

“It was good for him when he was only ambassador and serving Afghanistan, not to be engaged in Afghanistan’s politics,” he said.

The Doha Agreement of 2020, brokered by Khalilzad, remains a central point of contention. Daudzai described the deal as rushed and flawed, arguing that it contributed to the fall of the Afghan Republic while also trapping the Taliban in international isolation. 

“As long as this agreement exists, America cannot recognize the Taliban, because the Taliban themselves signed it,” he stressed.

Daudzai further criticized Khalilzad for dividing Afghans and suggested that he may have harbored ambitions for Afghanistan’s presidency—an aspiration Daudzai deemed unrealistic.

“How could Afghan people accept an American, a former ambassador, to be their president?” he asked.

Daudzai’s remarks highlight the complex and controversial legacy of Khalilzad: a diplomat once hailed for rebuilding Afghanistan’s global standing, later blamed for political missteps that continue to shape the country’s fragile future.