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Previous U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad lamented what he explained as the “unattractive last section” of the U.S. military services withdrawal from Afghanistan in his initial job interview because he resigned previous week.
Khalilzad, who was tapped in 2018 by then-President Donald Trump as the U.S.’s main negotiator with the Taliban, explained to CBS News’ “Face the Country” host Margaret Brennan that he remaining the Biden administration considerably less than two months immediately after its chaotic Aug. 30 withdrawal because inner debates weren’t dependent in truth.
US Unique ENVOY FOR AFGHANISTAN Techniques DOWN Immediately after WITHDRAWAL
“One particular purpose I remaining the federal government, as I wrote in my letter, is that the discussion was not actually, as it need to be, primarily based on realities and facts of what took place, what was heading on and what our alternatives have been,” he claimed. “The selection ultimately was made to place problems-dependent aside and adhere to a calendar basis.”
Khalilzad stopped short of criticizing President Biden, but said the withdrawal that he negotiated, identified as the Doha Settlement, was meant to keep the Taliban to specified conditions. He defined in his resignation letter Monday that just one of those people disorders that by no means arrived to fruition was that the Taliban negotiate immediately with the Afghan govt to strike a “electric power-sharing settlement and a thorough and long term ceasefire.”
He informed CBS that Biden chose to pull out of Afghanistan without the need of all those particular conditions because “there would have been outcomes” for remaining in the state earlier the deadline.
Brennan pushed back, noting that 13 American provider folks were killed in the course of the chaotic evacuation following ISIS-K suicide bombers attacked the Kabul airport.
“So this was not an orderly withdrawal,” Brennan argued.
“I am not indicating it was an orderly withdrawal,” Khalilzad responded. “This was an unattractive remaining section. No question about it. Could have been a good deal even worse. The Talibs did support with the withdrawal. Gen. McKenzie would inform you they did everything we asked them to do through that ultimate phase.
“It could have been a ton worse,” he continued. “Kabul could have been wrecked, street to road combating could have transpired. I went to Afghanistan soon after 30-as well as a long time right after the Soviet withdrawal and what transpired? Everywhere you go you appeared, it was destruction like some German metropolis right after World War II. This could have been a great deal even worse. It could have been a ton even worse. It can nevertheless be a ton worse, or it can get greater.”
Khalilzad also explained there could be “hundreds” of American citizens even now stranded in Afghanistan.
“I assume it can be pretty possible that it’ll be in hundreds, but we never know,” he said. “The fact of the make any difference is, we don’t know.”
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State Office officials briefed congressional workers final week and advised them that they are in touch with 363 Us residents in Afghanistan and virtually 176 lawful long lasting citizens, far exceeding the 100 figure officials experienced approximated in September.
Khalilzad will be changed by his deputy, Thomas West, who led the U.S. delegation to that previous spherical of talks in Doha.
