Khalilzad Blames Ghani for Major Failures in Afghanistan

Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US representative for Afghan peace affairs, defended the Doha agreement against sharp criticism from Republican members of Congress on Thursday.

He stated that the United States had no reason to stay in Afghanistan because it had lost hope of defeating the Taliban and confidence in the “weak and corrupt Afghan government.”

Zalmay Khalilzad added that Ashraf Ghani had agreed to share power with the Taliban, and this joint government was supposed to commence its work on September 1, 2021.

Mr. Khalilzad justified the failure of the peace talks between the former Afghan government and the Taliban, adding, “The responsibility for the failure lies more with the Afghan government and the fleeing of President Ghani, who did not defend the government and its values.”

He further emphasized that the Taliban were supposed to remain within a 20-kilometer radius of Kabul, but Ghani’s fleeing changed the situation.

Khalilzad said that the fall of the Afghan government accelerated with the rapid advance of the Taliban, and Ashraf Ghani’s escape from Afghanistan hindered talks with the government for a political transition. He added that if Ashraf Ghani had not fled, the Taliban would not have entered Kabul based on the previous agreement with America.

The withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan and the resurgence of the Taliban and terrorist groups in the region have sparked outrage and criticism from Republicans in the US House of Representatives. This chaotic exit was solidified by the signing of the Doha agreement on February 29, 2020.

During his testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Khalilzad refrained from introducing any new information regarding the Doha agreement, America’s decision to withdraw, or the fall of Ghani’s government. Contrary to claims by some Afghan politicians, he made no mention of any “secret agreements or annexes” associated with the Doha agreement.

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