Zalmay Khalilzad | |
---|---|
![]() 2011 | |
U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation | |
In office September 21, 2018 – October 19, 2021 | |
President | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Thomas West[1] |
26th United States Ambassador to the United Nations | |
In office April 30, 2007 – January 22, 2009 | |
President | George W. Bush Barack Obama |
Preceded by | John Bolton |
Succeeded by | Susan Rice |
United States Ambassador to Iraq | |
In office June 21, 2005 – March 26, 2007 | |
President | George W. Bush |
Preceded by | John Negroponte |
Succeeded by | Ryan Crocker |
15th United States Ambassador to Afghanistan | |
In office September 2, 2004 – June 20, 2005 | |
President | George W. Bush |
Preceded by | Robert Finn |
Succeeded by | Ronald E. Neumann |
Personal details | |
Born | Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzad March 22, 1951 Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan |
Spouse | Cheryl Benard |
Children | 2 |
Education | American University of Beirut (BA, MA) University of Chicago (PhD) |
Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzad (Pashto: زلمی خلیل زاد, Dari: زلمی خلیلزاد; born March 22, 1951) is an American diplomat and foreign policy expert. Khalilzad was U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation from September 2018 to October 2021.[2] Khailzad was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as United States ambassador to the United Nations, serving in the role from 2007 to 2009. Khalilzad was the highest ranking Muslim-American in government at the time he left the position.[3] Prior to this, Khalilzad served in the Bush administration as ambassador to Afghanistan from 2004 to 2005 and Ambassador to Iraq from 2005 to 2007.
Raised in the Afghan capital of Kabul, Khalilzad came to the United States as a high school exchange student, and later received his doctorate at the University of Chicago. During the Reagan Administration, Khalilzad served in the Department of State, where he advised on the U.S. response to the Soviet–Afghan War. Khalilzad later served as a counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and as president of Gryphon Partners and Khalilzad Associates, an international business consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.
Khalilzad was rumored to be a potential candidate in the 2014 Afghan presidential election, but ultimately declined to run.[4] In 2017, he was considered for secretary of state by President Donald Trump.[5] Khalilzad was appointed by Trump to serve as special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation on September 5, 2018, remaining in the position under President Joe Biden until October 18, 2021.[6] In this position, Khalilzad helped broker the US–Taliban deal and facilitating the final United States withdrawal from Afghanistan.[7][8][9]