Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, has said that some decisions made by the United States in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, driven by fear and anger, had a long-lasting impact on the world.
In an interview, Khalilzad said the United States should have negotiated with the Taliban in 2001 and included them in Afghanistan’s political process.
Regarding the Iraq War, he said the intelligence available at the time was problematic, adding that if the September 11 attacks had not occurred, the United States might not have invaded Iraq.
Khalilzad also supported the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in 2021, saying that the United States had remained in Afghanistan for 20 years, had reduced the terrorist threat, and that the war could otherwise have continued indefinitely.
