RASC News Agency: Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, has clarified that the Doha Agreement was not related to human rights but focused on establishing conditions for the safe military withdrawal of U.S. forces. In a recent post on X, Khalilzad responded to a draft resolution introduced in the U.S. Congress that condemns President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other senior officials including Khalilzad himself for their roles in the “disastrous” withdrawal from Afghanistan. He explained that the Taliban had agreed to form a “new government for Afghanistan,” with human rights issues likely to be negotiated separately between the Taliban and other Afghanistani stakeholders. He added that although some negotiations occurred, no concrete agreements were reached prior to the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces.
Khalilzad firmly rejected a section of the resolution that accuses him of “baselessly asserting that the Taliban would honor their commitments and respect basic human rights.” He stated, “This claim is entirely false. I have never made such a statement, and I am surprised that such an unfounded accusation could be raised without evidence.” He further clarified, “I have never issued any statement regarding the Taliban’s commitments to human rights. During my appearances before various Congressional committees, when asked whether I trusted the Taliban to fulfill their commitments on military and counterterrorism issues, my consistent response was that we were dealing with international diplomacy, not trust.”
In his statement on X, Khalilzad reiterated that the agreement was based on conditions rather than trust. He emphasized that the U.S.’s fulfillment of its commitments was contingent upon the Taliban’s adherence to theirs, which required continuous assessment and verification. It is important to note that the Doha Agreement included key provisions: the Taliban’s pledge not to attack U.S. forces and their commitment to prevent terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda, from using Afghanistan territory to threaten the security of the U.S. and its allies. Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, recently introduced a draft resolution in Congress that condemns both former and current U.S. officials for the “catastrophic” withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.
In his response to the resolution, Khalilzad pointed out that President Biden chose not to condition the withdrawal on a “political settlement between the Afghanistanis, including the Taliban and Ashraf Ghani.” The concern was that prolonged intra-Afghanistan negotiations might prompt the Taliban to resume attacks on U.S. forces. Khalilzad acknowledged that the final phase of the U.S. withdrawal was a disaster. Nevertheless, he contended that his actions were instrumental in positioning the U.S. to facilitate the Taliban’s takeover and subsequent exit of American forces.
