Khalilzad Said to Be in Talks With Karzai

Former U.S. Envoy Reportedly Seeking Key Advisory Role in Afghan Government

Zalmay Khalilzad, an Afghan American who served as ambassador to Afghanistan in the Bush administration, has been holding discussions with Afghan President Hamid Karzai about becoming a senior adviser to his government, U.S. officials said.

If the two men were to reach agreement on such a role, it could complicate the Obama administration's tense relationship with Karzai, injecting a savvy veteran diplomat with a deep understanding of the U.S. government into the mix on the Afghan side. At the same time, if Khalilzad were able to make Karzai's government more effective, it would help the White House achieve its objective of increasing stability in Afghanistan.

Khalilzad and Karzai have exchanged memoranda outlining the job, according to one senior U.S. official. The official described the position as akin to a chief executive officer, who would work with Karzai to improve the management of his government, which is widely regarded as ineffective and corrupt. But Khalilzad disputed that characterization yesterday, saying in a brief telephone interview that he is "not a candidate for the CEO of Afghanistan."

Khalilzad and Karzai held inconclusive talks about ways to improve the effectiveness of the Afghan government during Karzai's visit to Washington this month, according to a source with knowledge of the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Describing Khalilzad's possible role as that of a chief executive, the source said, "exaggerated what took place."

For Karzai, bringing Khalilzad into his tent would neutralize him as a political rival. Khalilzad had considered running for Afghan president in elections scheduled for August, but he ruled out a bid, in part because he would have to renounce his U.S. citizenship. Nevertheless, he had been considering whether to work with Karzai's political opponents before starting talks about a government position.

Karzai has struck deals with several of his rivals in recent weeks. He recently named Mohammed Fahim, a former warlord who had been a leading member of the principal opposition coalition, one of his two running mates.

The Karzai-Khalilzad discussions were first reported in yesterday's editions of the New York Times. Khalilzad's advisers said U.S. government officials divulged details of the talks to scuttle any deal.

Among the ideas discussed by Karzai and Khalilzad, said the source with knowledge of the meeting, was a proposal first floated by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to create the post of an unelected chief executive officer to help Karzai run the government. The two men also discussed other options, including forming executive councils to focus on domestic issues and the delivery of basic services.

"There's no commitment yet, only an agreement to look at all the options," the source said. "Karzai needs to consult with his cabinet and his advisers in Kabul before making any decision."

Khalilzad said he has not met face to face with Karzai since his trip to Washington. Although Khalilzad traveled to Afghanistan this year, he said he has not been there in the past two months.

Khalilzad has held two meetings with the U.S. government's special envoy to Afghanistan, Richard C. Holbrooke, and Karzai raised the idea with Holbrooke and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during his visit to Washington, according to U.S. officials.

Although Holbrooke and Clinton did not raise objections, saying the decision was Karzai's to make, several U.S. officials involved in Afghanistan issues expressed little support yesterday for the proposal. They noted that it has received a chilly reception from Karzai's ministers, who could see their influence attenuated under a deal with Khalilzad.

"This idea doesn't have much enthusiasm at all within the administration," a U.S. official said. "The administration's approach to shoring up the Afghan government doesn't involve Zal as the CEO."

The U.S. officials questioned whether Khalilzad, who speaks the two principal languages in Afghanistan, possesses the management experience to restore order to Karzai's dysfunctional government. Khalilzad, they said, was regarded as an effective ambassador to Kabul because he could sometimes solve problems by employing his direct access to President George W. Bush, an advantage he would not have under the new administration.