Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, recently clarified that the Doha Agreement was a framework for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan but did not define the future political system of the country.
Khalilzad stated that the agreement, signed in 2020 between the Trump administration and the Taliban, specified that the formation of a new government should occur through negotiations between the Taliban and other Afghan groups. In a post shared on X on Saturday, January 8, he emphasized that the core challenge now for Afghans, the Taliban, and other stakeholders is to determine how to fulfill this commitment under current circumstances.
The Doha Agreement required the Taliban to refrain from attacking U.S. forces until their complete withdrawal in 2021 and to engage in intra-Afghan talks to form a new government. However, the collapse of the previous Afghan government and the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021 brought this process to a standstill.
Speaking at a conference at the University of Florida, Khalilzad noted that the Doha Agreement remains an official document between the United States and the Taliban. He added that implementing this agreement could serve as one of the options for the new U.S. administration to address the situation in Afghanistan.
While the Taliban claim adherence to the agreement, the international community continues to scrutinize their policies and approach, leaving questions about the viability of the agreement’s implementation.
