Khalilzad Calls for Expanded US Engagement With Taliban

DID Press: Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, has urged Washington to expand its engagement with the Taliban government, arguing that such an approach would serve US geopolitical interests.

In a post on X, Khalilzad referred to an interview with The National of the United Arab Emirates about Afghanistan five years after the Taliban returned to power. He said that, to improve relations between Kabul and Washington, the Taliban must first address US concerns over American citizens being held in detention.

He described the issue as an obstacle to improved relations and stressed that it must be resolved.

The former US envoy also called on Washington to broaden and expand its engagement with Afghanistan. He argued that limiting relations with the country could undermine US interests.

“Turning one’s back on Afghanistan and limiting engagement is, at best, a mistake,” Khalilzad warned, saying it would create a vacuum in a strategically important location that US rivals would be happy to fill.

He also said reduced engagement with Afghanistan could provide greater opportunities for terrorist groups to operate and negatively affect the lives of ordinary Afghans.

At the same time, Khalilzad claimed that the Taliban government had demonstrated greater-than-expected capacity in some areas, including infrastructure development, support for the agricultural sector and regional diplomacy.

He stressed that after decades of war and instability, the Afghan people need normalization and peace above all else.