Zalmay Khalilzad
Zalmay Khalilzad
Zalmay Mamozy Khalilzadis a U.S. counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studiesand president of Khalilzad Associates, an international business consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. He was the United States Ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush. He has been involved with U.S. policy makers at the White House, State Department and Pentagon since the mid-1980s, and was the highest-ranking Muslim American in the Administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. Khalilzad's previous assignments in...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth22 March 1951
CountryUnited States of America
The neighbors can make it harder. It can take longer. But success is inevitable. This country has the resources to become a very rich and powerful country. It behooves the neighbors of Iraq to help.
The country is bleeding. Iraqis want their leaders to rise to the occasion, to form a government of national unity.
Americans have eliminated Iran's worst enemies, the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam [Hussein]. I occasionally threatened my Iranian counterpart in Kabul that one day I would send him a big bill for what we did. But, seriously, Iran is pursuing a dual strategy in Iraq. On the one hand, the Iranians, after decades of hostility, are now interested in good relations. On the other hand, they want to keep the country weak and dominate the region.
The feeling of being an Iraqi unites all ethnic groups within this country. Even the Kurds, who have traditionally pushed for their own state, see the benefits of the current situation. They enjoy an autonomous status in Kurdistan, while at the same time participating in decisions in Baghdad. But if neighboring states were to push for a partition of Iraq, it would be a horrible mistake.
The Sunnis continue to see themselves, possibly for nostalgic reasons, as the most influential group and want a stronger central government - quite unlike minorities in other countries. The circumstances here are far more complex than many people in Washington imagine.
Everything that needs to be done must be done to avoid a civil war, and I think they are keenly aware of the danger.
The terrorists are seeking to provoke sectarian war, and Iraq needs a government of national unity in the face of this threat. Iraq is bleeding while they are moving at a very slow pace.
At this point the determination is to meet the August 15 deadline.
This not only opens the door for insurgents to permanently renounce violence and join the political process in order to stabilize Iraq, it also isolates the terrorists who are the enemy of all Iraqis, while setting the stage for the emergence of a strong and independent Iraq.
That will bring down the total level from 17 brigades to 15.
will depend not only on our military strategy, but also on the political progress.
We have opened the Pandora's box and the question is, what is the way forward? If another incident (occurs), Iraq is really vulnerable.
It is critical that the newly elected leaders of Iraq do their part by forming a government of national unity with a good program and competent ministers as soon as possible.
Since no single party will have a majority there will be a need for a very broad-based coalition.