U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad listens to a video question from U.S. Rep. Susan Wild D-PA as he testifies about the possible withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan at a hearing before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington, U.S. on May 18, 2021. Oct 18 Reuters - Zalmay Khalilzad, the top U.S. envoy to Afghanistan, is expected to step down on Monday, two sources familiar with the situation said.
Khalilzad will leave his role and be replaced by his deputy, Tom West, less than two months after the United States withdescended from Afghanistan, the sources said.
CNN first reported Khalilzad's plans to. Khalilzad has not responded to a request for comment.
He spearheaded a U.S.-Taliban dialogue for years and was a key figure in the peace talks with the Taliban.
In mid-August the U.S. backed Afghan government collapsed as the Taliban marched through the country at lightning speed and they swept into the capital, Kabul, unopposed. Khalilzad was left seeking militant group’s help in a chaotic U.S. evacuation from Kabul.
Current and former U.S. officials told Reuters earlier that in the three years Khalilzad had been in the role, he became the face of one of the largest diplomatic failures in recent memory.