For New U.S. Envoy to Afghanistan, ‘Deja Vu All Over Again’ by Carol Morello – Washington Post
The quest to end America’s longest war, 17 years in Afghanistan with no end in sight, now partly falls on the shoulders of Zalmay Khalilzad, an urbane veteran U.S. diplomat who describes the experience as “deja vu all over again.”
Khalilzad was present at the beginning, helping the administration of George W. Bush plan the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001. After the United States invaded, he became a special envoy to Afghanistan and later the U.S. ambassador in Kabul. On Friday, he was sworn in again as a special envoy — this time tasked with helping to jump-start talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, which still controls a large chunk of the country of his birth.
He is optimistic it is different this time, but experience has taught him to be cautious.
“It seems some Talibs, or the Taliban as a whole, are looking for possible reconciliation and a political settlement to end the conflict,” he said in his first interview since being sworn in. “And my job is very narrow this time, narrowly focused on testing that proposition and helping, if there is reality to it, to facilitate and help the parties to reach an agreement and to participate, if needed, in the meetings and discussions leading to a possible agreement.”
Khalilzad is in New York this week for the annual U.N. General Assembly, meeting with Afghan government officials and diplomats from other countries with an interest in the region…