KABUL - Zalmay Khalilzad, the veteran US diplomat tasked with leading efforts to end the war in Afghanistan, is a blunt negotiator with a history of hawkish foreign policy views. He was instrumental in setting up the government structure in Afghanistan and guiding President Hamid Karzai through the first elections in 2005. Unlike his smooth stint in Afghanistan, where he cut deals with tribal chiefs and warlords, Khalilzad's Iraq mission was rocky. Khalilzad was the introductory speaker for then-candidate Donald Trump's first major foreign policy speech in April 2016. Now Khalilzad is a key player in the Republican president's efforts to extricate the US from the 17-year conflict in Afghanistan.

Source: Bangkok Post September 05, 2018 12:11 UTC