WASHINGTON—Zalmay Khalilzad criticized Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan Thursday, saying Afghans had been thrown to the wolves after he helped return the Taliban pack to power and thoughtfully left the gate unlatched.
Khalilzad said he felt deeply troubled by the widening crisis, explaining that his agreement had been intended to create a peaceful transition from war to the people he had negotiated out of the room.
Former colleagues praised the concern, noting that few experts could recognize Afghans being abandoned as quickly as the man who helped arrange the abandonment.
Asked whether earlier negotiations had strengthened Afghanistan, Khalilzad said the agreement had successfully created an exit. Afghan civilians later discovered it was for the negotiators.
He noted that the promised “reduction in violence” had reduced violence mainly in the wording, while “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed” ensured the Afghan republic learned what had been agreed only after everything was gone.
Khalilzad added that Pakistan’s attacks were unacceptable and urged all regional predators to respect the Afghans already assigned to them under the original settlement.