Download Zalmay Khalilzad

TRUMP CONTRAST
KHALILZAD SUPPORTED ADVOCATING LIBERAL DEMOCRACY AROUND THE WORLD…
Khalilzad Said Americans “Should Seek To Shape The Political Evolution Of The World By
Advocating Liberal Democracy.” “While a strategy of ‘balance and reconcile’ should be the template for
building durable order in critical regions, Americans should seek to shape the political evolution of the
world by advocating liberal democracy and working with patriotic and visionary leaders who seek to
enable their peoples to live under governments that respect human rights and dignity.” [Zalmay Khalilzad
op-ed, The National Interest, 8/26/15]
…AS WELL AS NATION-BUILDING, WHICH HE CITED TRUMP AS OPPOSING
Contrary To Donald Trump, Khalilzad Was A Proponent Of Nation Building. “As Sen. Ted Cruz put
it, ‘It is not the job of the U.S. military to engage in nation building to turn foreign countries into democratic
utopias.’ Donald Trump has also argued against nation and state building abroad … I, among other
skeptics, came to embrace state building, not out of airy idealism, but rather because there was no other
way to secure our core counterterrorism interests at a cheaper cost … Shallow criticisms of state building
ultimately distract from the more serious question that needs to be asked: Why is the U.S. government so
poorly equipped to handle post-conflict planning and implementation?” [Zalmay Khalilzad op-ed, The
National Interest, 3/23/16]
KHALILZAD CRITICIZED TRUMP FOR ENDORSING THE PRACTICES OF PUTIN, GADHAFI, AND
HUSSEIN…
Zalmay Khalilzad: “Trump Has Repeatedly Endorsed More Cooperative Ties With Moscow,
Irrespective Of Its Crackdown On Journalists, And Waxes Nostalgic For The Reigns Of Muammar
El-Qaddafi And Saddam Hussein.” [Zalmay Khalilzad op-ed, The National Interest, 3/23/16]
…FOR PROMOTING A STRATEGY THAT WOULD “RISK THE RETURN OF WAR BETWEEN THE
MAJOR POWERS...”
Khalilzad Argued That The “Sphere Of Influence” Strategy Promoted By Donald Trump Would
“Risk The Return Of War Between The Major Powers.” “Donald Trump, too, in his skepticism of NATO
and other long-standing U.S. alliances, has endorsed a de facto sphere of influence strategy for Europe
and Asia … Giving major powers the green light to establish spheres of influence would produce a
multipolar world and risk the return of war between the major powers … The United States can manage
the rise and resurgence of great powers like China, Russia and Iran at an acceptable cost without ceding
entire spheres of influence.” [Zalmay Khalilzad op-ed, The National Interest, 3/23/16]
…AND FOR BEING SKEPTICAL OF NATO…
Khalilzad Criticized Trump’s “Skepticism Of NATO.” “Donald Trump, too, in his skepticism of NATO
and other long-standing U.S. alliances, has endorsed a de facto sphere of influence strategy for Europe
and Asia … Giving major powers the green light to establish spheres of influence would produce a
multipolar world and risk the return of war between the major powers … The United States can manage
the rise and resurgence of great powers like China, Russia and Iran at an acceptable cost without ceding
entire spheres of influence.” [Zalmay Khalilzad op-ed, The National Interest, 3/23/16]
…AND WARNED ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF FOREIGN POLICY RHETORIC IN THIS
ELECTION
Khalilzad: The Current Foreign Policy Rhetoric “Has Consequences In An Open Political System
That Enjoys A Unique Appeal Around The World And That Influences, And Is Influenced By,
Actors Around The World.” “My hope is that the electoral discourse on foreign policy simply reflects the
country’s current bout of pessimism, and that it will not ultimately overturn the bipartisan consensus
behind U.S. global leadership. Even still, this rhetoric has consequences in an open political system that
enjoys a unique appeal around the world and that influences, and is influenced by, actors around the
world.” [Zalmay Khalilzad op-ed, The National Interest, 3/23/16]
MUSLIM FAITH
KHALILZAD WAS THE HIGHEST RANKING MUSLIM TO SERVE IN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT
Khalilzad Was The Highest-Ranking Muslim Ever To Serve In The Federal Government. “Khalilzad,
a Sunni who is the highest-ranking Muslim ever to serve in the federal government, became ambassador
to both Afghanistan and Iraq in the Bush years, but long before that he had a knack for being in the room
while history was being written.” [New York Post, 3/20/16]
KHALILZAD CREDITED GEORGE W. BUSH FOR MAKING CLEAR THE U.S. WAS NOT AT WAR
WITH ISLAM
Khalilzad Credited George W. Bush For Insisting That The U.S. Was Not At War With Islam.
“Khalilzad details not only the failure to plan for the day after the invasion but also the lack of intellectual
preparedness at the White House. He credits Bush for insisting the US was not at war with Islam —
something that in this year’s Republican primaries would be an act of political bravery.” [Financial Times,
3/18/16]
KHALILZAD DEFENDED ISLAM IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ABOUT DONALD TRUMP
Khalilzad: “There’s Nothing In Islam That Hates America.” ZAKARIA: “What do you think when you
hear Donald Trump who's a Republican whose a Republican front-runner and the leader of a party you
have served for say Islam hates America?” KHALILZAD: “I think Islam of course has been a religion for
over a thousand years and there's nothing in Islam that hates America. I think that there are some
extreme Muslims who have hostile actions towards the United States and I understand that some people
are concerned about that and we all should be concerned about that and do what we can to defend
ourselves.” [Fareed Zakaria GPS, CNN, 4/17/16]
AFGHANISTAN
KHALILZAD LOBBIED TO ARM AFGHANS AGAINST THE SOVIET UNION
Khalilzad Lobbied To Arm The Afghan Mujahideen In Their Fight Against The Soviet Union.
“Meanwhile, Khalilzad remained a key voice in Washington for his homeland as a Soviet invasion tore it
apart. Khalilzad successfully lobbied to supply the Afghan mujahideen with shoulder-fired Stinger
missiles, which were crucial in their victory over the Soviets.” [ABC News, 1/6/06]
KHALILZAD ARGUED THE TALIBAN DID NOT PRACTICE ANTI-AMERICAN FUNDAMENTALISM IN
THE 1990S
Khalilzad Argued That The Taliban “Does Not Practice The Anti-U.S. Style Of Fundamentalism
Practiced By Iran.” “Based on recent conversations with Afghans, including the various Taliban factions,
and Pakistanis, I am confident that they would welcome an American reengagement. The Taliban does
not practice the anti-U.S. style of fundamentalism practiced by Iran -- it is closer to the Saudi model. The
group upholds a mix of traditional Pashtun values and an orthodox interpretation of Islam.” [Zalmay
Khalilzad op-ed, Washington Post, 10/7/96]
FOREIGN POLICY VIEWS
KHALILZAD WAS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF NEOCON THINK TANK PROJECT FOR A THE NEW
AMERICAN CENTURY…
Khalilzad Was A Founding Member Of The Project For The New American Century, A Neocon
Think Tank Started By Cheney, Rumsfeld, And Paul Wolfowitz. “On his instincts, Khalilzad showed
himself to be close to the neoconservative thinkers who were starting to exert a strong influence over the
Republican party. He was an early supporter of a policy of regime change in Iraq and, alongside Cheney,
Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz, he was a founding member of the Project for the New American Century, a
neocon think-tank that called during the Clinton years for ‘American global leadership’.” [Financial Times,
3/18/16]
…AND JOINED THEM IN 1998 IN URGING BILL CLINTON TO TOPPLE SADDAM HUSSEIN
1998: Khalilzad Signed A Letter Calling On President Bill Clinton To Topple Saddam Hussein. “Mr
Khalilzad was a founder member of the now ailing neo-con Project for the New American Century, and
signed its 1998 letter that called on President Bill Clinton to topple Saddam Hussein.” [BBC News, 1/8/07]
KHALILZAD SUPPORTED U.S. NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN
Khalilzad Said The United States Should Negotiate With Iran. “As someone who has negotiated with
Iran over the years perhaps more than any other U.S. diplomat, I disagree with those who argue that talks
with Iran are akin to capitulation. I have seen little evidence that isolation has or will alter Tehran’s
behavior in the right direction. Nor do I share the view that it is impossible to negotiate win-win deals with
the Iranians.” [Zalmay Khalilzad op-ed, Politico, 3/28/16]
KHALILZAD SUPPORTED ARMING UKRAINIAN FORCES AGAINST PUTIN
Khalilzad Said The United States Should Help Ukraine Thwart Putin’s Aggression By Arming And
Training Ukrainian Forces. “The paradox of a declining but belligerent Russia requires that the United
States help Ukraine thwart Vladimir Putin’s aggression by arming and training its forces to bog down his
hybrid offensive. If we increase the costs to Moscow, we will improve the chances of a deal that respects
Ukraine’s sovereignty, meets legitimate Russian concerns, and alters Putin’s risk calculus about taking
similar actions in the Baltic states or Georgia.” [Zalmay Khalilzad op-ed, The National Interest, 8/26/15]
CONSULTING
KHALILZAD ADVISED A MAJOR OIL COMPANY
Khalilzad Was A Paid Adviser To The Oil Giant Unocal In The Mid-1990s. “Khalilzad may be an
experienced government operative, but the part of his job history that has received the most attention is
his stint as a paid adviser to the oil giant Unocal in the mid-1990s.” [ABC News, 1/6/06]