Khalilzad: Continued Isolation of Afghanistan Would Expand Chinese, Russian Influence
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan peace, has said that if Washington refuses to engage with Afghanistan, China and Russia will fill the vacuum created by that approach.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said stability in Afghanistan is in the interest of the United States, and that Washington does not want the country to once again slide toward collapse and chaos, a situation that, he said, could once again create space for terrorist groups and a threat to the U.S.
Khalilzad said that if the United States does not engage to advance its interests, its rivals will take its place. He added that China has entered Afghanistan and is seeking to control the country’s natural resources, while Russia also has an active presence.
According to him, U.S. policy should be based on the current and future realities of Afghanistan and should make clear what kind of country Washington wants Afghanistan to be in the future. He added that one of the United States’ main interests is for Afghanistan not to once again become a centre or base for anti-U.S. terrorist groups.
Khalilzad also said that economic progress and the development of Afghanistan’s resources are important for achieving this goal. At the same time, he warned that the continued restrictions on the work and education of women and girls could have negative and harmful consequences.
Khalilzad was one of the key figures in U.S. policy on Afghanistan over the past two decades and also played a central role in the U.S. talks with the Taliban administration, talks that ultimately led to the Doha agreement.
