US top envoy to Kabul to step down from his position
Oct 19, 2021
Washington [US] October 19 : US top envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad is expected to step down from his position following the 'chaotic' US withdrawal from Afghanistan, CNN reported citing two sources who have been told about the State Department's plans informed.
Khalilzad will "transition" out of his role and be replaced by his Deputy, Tom West who led Afghan policy for the Biden presidential transition team and has been working closely with Khalilzad for months, CNN reported.
The developments came almost two months after the US withdrew from Afghanistan in a 'chaotic and deadly' evacuation process, according to one of the sources.
Khalilzad was the person who led talks with the Taliban in Qatar that resulted in the Doha agreement between the Islamic group and former US President Donald Trump to fully withdraw US troops by May 2021.
During those talks, Khalilizad's counterpart was Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was recently named Afghanistan's acting deputy Prime Minister, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, the last US C-17 lifted off from Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 30.
The last two US officials to step off Afghanistan soil and onto a US military aircraft were General Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, and the top US diplomat in Kabul, Charge d'Affaires Ross Wilson, reported CNN.
