Khalilzad Appointed as US Adviser on Afghanistan

Zalmay Khalilzad, the senior Afghan-American diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq and as U.N. ambassador named as US special envoy to Afghanistan.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the senior Afghan-American diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq and as U.N. ambassador named as US special envoy to Afghanistan.
Zalmay Khalilzad, who served as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq and as U.N. ambassador during the administration of President George W. Bush, has been named President Trump’s special adviser to Afghanistan. His job will be to try to bring the Afghan government and the Taliban to a reconciliation.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed the appointment on Tuesday.
“Ambassador Khalilzad is going to join the State Department team to assist us in the reconciliation effort, so he will come on and be the State Department’s lead person for that purpose,” Pompeo told reporters aboard a flight bound for Pakistan.
Khalilzad will “be full-time focused on developing the opportunities to get the Afghans and the Taliban to come to a reconciliation. That will be his singular mission statement,” Pompeo said.
He has previously accused Pakistan of supporting terrorist against the government of Afghanistan.