US envoy for Afghanistan steps down after withdrawal

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan is stepping down following the chaotic American withdrawal from the country. The State Department says former ambassador to the United Nations and Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad will leave the post this week after more than three years on the job. Khalilzad had served as the special envoy for Afghan reconciliation since September 2018, when the-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo brought him on board to lead negotiations with the Taliban and the Afghan government. An Afghan native, Khalilzad negotiated a U.S. agreement with the Taliban in February 2020 that ultimately led to the end of America’s longest-running war.