Few days ago, Zalmay Khalilzad invited some tribal elder in Kabul to secure their allegiance in the event that he nominates himself as a candidate in the next Presidential election in 2014.  Upon hearing this news, we were both angry and surprised. We were angry for Khalilzad’s disregard for the Afghan lives and the role Khalilzad played in facilitating the conditions wherein they find themselves. Khalilzad was in part the architect of the current misery.  We were surprised to see how shameless this man has become and continues to show no remorse to be the point man for Washington’s global architects of disaster in the region. Hence, we felt compelled to write this short write-up in order to shed some light on who he is and what he has done for Afghanistan since his conduct cease to reflect Afghan dignity or Islamic values.

Khalilzad made a career from advocating wars and destruction in the region. He has been one of the neoconservatives and a protégé of Paul Wolfowitz and had studied under Albert Wohlstetter, philosophical thinker for the neoconservative movement in the United States. It is through these types of mentorships that Khalilzad was able to advance to the sphere of influence in the US foreign policy circles. He earned his PhD from the University of Chicago in 1979 and served as fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and has worked on the Project for the New American Century, the neoconservative philosophy that molded the post-911 world.

In 1998, he and the other neoconservatives signed a letter to then President Clinton advocating the removal of Saddam Hussein. The inspiration for this letter stemmed from the Policy Paper, Clean Break, which advocated toppling regimes through wars throughout the Middle East. During the Bush Administration Khalilzad and his neoconservative associates advocated war in Iraq, a fact well established by their letter to President Clinton in 1998. In Iraq, of course, it is no secret that over a million people lost their lives, millions were maimed and the dignity of its people compromised and historical artifacts looted.

In short he was the point man for Dick Cheney when George W Bush was elected President and worked in the National Security Council [NSC] under Condoleezza Rice. It is there in the NSC, where he has most likely helped plan the invasion of Afghanistan. It is worth mentioning that his plans for the invasion of Afghanistan stemmed from his so-called White Paper he had led to author in 1998. The White Paper was actually the “Dark Paper” for what was to become of Afghanistan.  His prescription for the cure of war-torn Afghanistan in reality caused the current sociopolitical epidemic.

Khalilzad’s White Paper invested a lot in the Afghan minorities, warlord, drug lords, and the future shape of the Afghan government. As envisaged in his White Paper, Khalilzad had planned for a weak central government in Afghanistan with the goal to please Afghanistan’s neighbors. That is why, the development of different parts of Afghanistan were entrusted to the immediate neighbors of Afghanistan and India. Similarly, through his suggestions, individuals with direct links to foreign countries found their way to the new government in Kabul further creating dependency on the countries in region.

The rationale for Khalilzad’s approach was that Afghanistan had created rivalries between neighbors of Afghanistan; hence, something had to be done to alleviate those rivalries. However, common sense dictates that any such approach would further foster factions inside Afghanistan with allegiance to outside powers. Furthermore, Khalilzad advocated local autonomy in the new system of government.

This set the stage for warlords to seek the system of federalism to secure their gains and work for the division of Afghanistan. Since Khalizad facilitated outside influence in Afghanistan, the goal of the criminal warlords of the Northern Alliance was on track to seek federalism, a precursor to the division of Afghanistan. This method of appeasing the warlords could have stemmed from one conceived goal, corruption. Khalilzad probably aimed to gain influence in these corrupt circles for corruption purposes; otherwise, why would any rational person pursue such an approach that would add to the internal instability of Afghanistan. It is no secret that billions have vanished in Afghanistan and those billions could not have disappeared without outside cooperation from officials of the US government.

To sum up Khalilzad, he was trained for imperial violence and domination. He has his hand in every US adventure aimed at killing Muslims in region under the pretext of the war on terror.  He has signed known documents such as the neoconservatives letter to President Clinton in 1998 advocating the removal of Saddam Hussein, hence, war in Iraq. Furthermore, he has been the architect of the disastrous regime of Karzai and his criminal affiliates, the Northern Alliance Warlords. His political plans certainly qualify as evil politics; hence, in this mode of politics, it would not be far fetched to say that he acts like Satan, who “whispers in the hearts of men.”

On a personal note, Khalizad has two sons, Alexander Benard and Maximilian Benard. Their names do not appear to have any cultural or religious links to Afghanistan.   Our question is based on what background or positive contribution in Afghanistan, has he decided to run for president in 2014?

 

Dr Mohammed Daud Miraki, MA, MA, PhD  

mdmiraki@ameritech.net

Dr Rahmat Rabi Zirakyar, MA, PhD

zirakyar1234@yahoo.com

 

All Rights Reserved, February 1, 2012