Former US envoy Khalilzad critiques post-9/11 Afghanistan and Iraq policy

A prominent American diplomat who played a key role in shaping US policy in South and Central Asia has acknowledged that Washington made critical errors in its military campaigns after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Zalmay Khalilzad, who served as US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations, reflected on the consequences of American decision-making during the two-decade-long conflicts. His reassessment adds to a growing chorus of policymakers and military officials questioning the strategic assumptions that guided the wars.

Khalilzad's critique addresses both the protracted Afghan conflict and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, suggesting that the approaches taken diverged from intended objectives. The comments underscore ongoing debate within Washington regarding the costs and outcomes of these military interventions.

The former ambassador's assessment comes as the United States has withdrawn from Afghanistan and significantly reduced its military footprint in Iraq. His willingness to publicly question past decisions reflects a broader reckoning within the foreign policy establishment about the effectiveness and justification of these operations.

Khalilzad's position as a prominent figure in Republican administrations lends particular weight to his reassessment, as it signals potential fractures in the consensus that once supported these military campaigns among senior American policymakers.