RASC News Agency: Amrullah Saleh, the exiled Vice President of the former Republic of Afghanistan, has launched a blistering attack on Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, accusing him of long-standing complicity in the Taliban’s rise to power. In a scathing post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, June 11, Saleh sarcastically suggested that Khalilzad is the ideal candidate to represent the Taliban as their official envoy to the United States, citing what he described as the diplomat’s years of ideological alignment and political servitude to the extremist regime. “The Taliban should reward Khalilzad’s unwavering loyalty by appointing him their ambassador in Washington,” Saleh wrote. “He has served their interests with more devotion than any Talib ever could.”
In a cutting remark that underscores the depth of his criticism, Saleh added:
“Mullah Hibatullah will not find a soul more wicked than Khalilzad.” The former intelligence chief and vice president has long been one of the most vocal critics of both the Taliban and the international actors who enabled their resurgence. He argued that Khalilzad, since at least 2019, had acted less as a neutral diplomat and more as an unofficial apologist for the Taliban, shaping policy decisions that ultimately led to the catastrophic fall of Kabul in 2021 and the re-establishment of a brutal theocracy.
Mocking Khalilzad’s purported religiosity and political maneuvering, Saleh added:
“Do a few ritual prayers or public displays of piety disqualify him? Certainly not. One religious decree would suffice to formalize his allegiance. Perhaps that too was among the secret clauses of the Doha Agreement.” Khalilzad’s role in brokering the 2020 Doha Agreement between the United States and the Taliban remains one of the most widely criticized elements of America’s withdrawal strategy. Many Afghanistani analysts, civil society leaders, and exiled officials argue that the deal granted unprecedented legitimacy to a violent, regressive militia, sidelined the democratically elected government, and paved the way for the Taliban’s return to power through a vacuum of accountability.
Adding fuel to growing public outrage, Khalilzad recently praised a speech delivered by the Taliban’s de facto prime minister during Eid al-Adha, describing it as “positive.” This comment, viewed by many as yet another subtle endorsement of the regime, ignited fresh condemnation from both Afghanistani diaspora communities and rights advocates. Equally controversial were recent remarks by Cheryl Benard, Khalilzad’s wife, who returned from a visit to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan only to dismiss concerns raised by Afghanistani refugees. In an op-ed, she not only minimized the well-documented brutality faced by women under Taliban rule, but also labeled fears of persecution as “exaggerated” a position that drew severe backlash from women’s rights defenders and former female lawmakers in exile.
Despite public criticism, Khalilzad has continued to operate behind the scenes in U.S. diplomatic circles. Earlier this year, he traveled to Kabul as part of a U.S. delegation involved in negotiating hostage releases. Two American nationals were reportedly freed during that mission, though observers noted that such engagement risks normalizing relations with a regime that flouts international norms and human rights. Saleh’s remarks have reignited global debate over Khalilzad’s legacy a legacy marred by accusations of legitimizing tyranny under the guise of diplomacy. For many Afghanistani citizens and exiled officials, the mere suggestion of Khalilzad aligning further with the Taliban feels less like satire and more like an uncomfortable truth.
“He empowered them diplomatically, undermined the republic politically, and now whitewashes their crimes rhetorically,” said one Kabul-based former official who now lives in exile. “Why wouldn’t they reward him?” This growing chorus of voices demanding a reassessment of Khalilzad’s actions is not only about historical accountability but also a warning about the dangers of appeasing and normalizing extremist regimes. The Taliban, since their return to power, have erased women from public life, muzzled the press, and systematically dismantled the institutional framework of Afghanistani civil society a reality that critics argue Khalilzad helped make possible.
As Saleh’s post continues to circulate widely, it serves as a stark reminder of how misguided diplomacy and personal ambition contributed to one of the most tragic betrayals in modern geopolitics the abandonment of a nation to an armed group whose very foundation is rooted in repression.
