WASHINGTON: The US should adopt a policy of “total isolation” against Pakistan to send a signal that it faces the prospect of becoming a “second North Korea” if it continues destabilising Afghanistan by supporting the Taliban and Haqqani network, a former top American diplomat has said. “In the aftermath of the US drone attack killing Taliban leader Mullah Mansour, …
WaPost Opinion: Before Obama leaves office, here’s what he should do about Iran
By Zalmay Khalilzad & James Dobbins America’s relationship with Iran poses a classic geopolitical dilemma. Iran is an important regional power that pursues adversarial policies with its neighbors and represses its people at home. Yet the United States can only address key issues affecting U.S. interests if it engages Tehran wherever possible. As it did vis-à-vis the Soviet Union during …
Video: Pak Risks Becoming The Next North Korea If It Doesn’t Change: Former US Envoy
Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzdad has slammed Pakistan for what he calls its ‘two-faced’ policy on terror. He said Pakistan risks becoming the next North Korea if it doesn’t change its ways. “There was no way the former Taliban Chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour could have survived in Pakistan for so long without the military, financial and logistical support …
How Can We Fight Homegrown Terror?
By: Zalmay Khalilzad The Orlando shooting is unique only in the death toll it inflicted on American soil. Since the founding of the Islamic State in 2014, ISIS leaders have encouraged their followers to wage “lone wolf” attacks against targets in the United States–both civilian and military. ISIS-inspired self-starters followed suit with attacks in Chattanooga, Garland and San Bernardino. Well …
Sometimes, There Is A Military Solution
By: Zalmay Khalilzad Since 9/11, the United States has undertaken two major and one significant but much smaller military interventions that resulted in regime change: Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. In each case, postwar planning and execution proved inadequate. The high costs and outcomes that fell short of our aspirations have produced a backlash against state- and nation-building, and, more generally, …
Breaking the Pakistan-Taliban Alliance
By: Zalmay Khalilzad In foreign policy, there are key moments—“golden hours”—when events create a finite window in which to achieve important things. Sometimes they are obvious, like in the aftermath of a successful military operation. More often golden hours are fleeting and apparent only in retrospect, when policy makers realize that they missed an opportunity. Based on my discussions with …