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Khalilzad meets with key Afghans, explains US position
Zalmay Khalilzad met with a number of influential figures in Kabul on Monday including Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, members of the Jamiat Party, and others.
Some political figures in Kabul said that during the meetings, Khalilzad explained the position of the new US administration on peace in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, US House of Foreign Affairs Committee Member Michael McCaul says that the purpose of Khalilzad’s visit to Doha, Afghanistan and other countries in the region is to amend clauses of the peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban.
“Khalilzad has come to announce the new US administration’s approach to Afghanistan and the Taliban,” said Abdul Sattar Murad, a member of the Jamiat-e-Islami leadership council.
Khalilzad may also bring new proposals to Kabul and Doha, the two main centers of decision-making on Afghanistan’s future, sources said.
The US House of Foreign Affairs Committee Member Michael McCaul said that the revision of the Doha agreement, of clauses such as the release of 7,000 Taliban prisoners, the reduction of violence and the extension of the mission of foreign forces after May, is Khalilzad’s responsibility.
The US special envoy has also reportedly noted the views of Afghan government officials and the Taliban on the outcome of the Doha Agreement and negotiations between Afghans.
Some politicians said that Khalilzad did not come to Afghanistan and Qatar to announce the decision of the Biden administration but is rather initiating amendments to the US’s plans for Afghanistan.
“The United States wants to establish a partnership in Afghanistan, and this is not far off, and it wants to convince the Taliban to continue their presence,” said Sayed Ishaq Gailani, head of the National Solidarity Movement of Afghanistan.
Khalilzad who started his trip in Germany will continue on to Doha and other countries in the region.
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US Justice Department to seek death penalty for Afghan suspect in National Guard shooting
The U.S. Justice Department has announced that it intends to seek the death penalty for Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting two members of the National Guard near the White House in November, an incident that left one guard member dead and another injured.
Lakanwal, who previously worked with U.S. agencies in Afghanistan before relocating to the United States in 2021, appeared in a federal court this week and pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including first-degree murder.
Prosecutors told the judge they are pursuing “death-eligible charges.”
According to U.S. court documents, Lakanwal is accused of traveling from Washington state to the capital, where he allegedly attacked the two National Guard officers.
A third guard member detained him shortly after the incident. One of the victims, Sarah Beckstrom, died a day later, while the second, Andrew Wolfe, remains under medical care.
Court filings claim Lakanwal had obtained a pistol shortly before the attack and had also purchased ammunition. Prosecutors say he conducted online searches related to Washington, D.C., before the shooting.
Lakanwal is scheduled to appear for his next court hearing in early May.
China has warned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that the terrorist threat in Afghanistan remains severe and requires urgent international attention, citing the continued presence and activities of several extremist groups on Afghan soil.
Speaking at the Council’s meeting on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, Chinese envoy Sun Lei said organizations such as ISIL, al-Qaeda and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) are still operating in Afghanistan and pose “persistent threats” to the country and the wider region.
Sun referred to last month’s deadly explosion at a Chinese restaurant in Afghanistan, which killed seven people and was claimed by ISIL-K, as a reminder of the group’s ongoing operational capability. He urged the Afghan authorities to “attach great importance” to counterterrorism efforts and to take concrete measures to prevent the country from once again becoming a hub for extremist networks.
He added that China supports deeper regional cooperation — particularly among Central Asian states and through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) — to jointly confront cross-border terrorist threats, while also helping Afghanistan stabilize its economy.
Pakistan’s envoy Asim Iftikhar Ahmad also raised concerns, saying the Afghan authorities continue to provide a “permissive environment” for groups such as TTP, al-Qaeda, ISIL-K and ETIM/TIP. He warned that these organizations endanger not only Pakistan but the entire region, and highlighted the risk of advanced weapons left behind in Afghanistan falling into militant hands.
U.S. representative Mike Waltz broadened the discussion, noting the expansion of al-Qaeda affiliates and ISIL-linked groups in West Africa and the Sahel, as well as the resilience of ISIL cells in Syria and Iraq. He said ISIL-K (Daesh) remains a persistent threat in Afghanistan, underscoring the need for sustained and coordinated global counterterrorism efforts.
Regional countries have repeatedly raised concern about terrorist threats in Afghanistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has dismissed the concerns, reiterating that it will not allow Afghan soil to be used against any other country.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates freed around 108 Afghan prisoners on the occasion of its National Day.
According to the statement, a number of those released have already returned to the country, while the remaining individuals will be repatriated in the near future after the completion of legal and administrative procedures.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude to the UAE government and relevant institutions for their cooperation and humanitarian gesture, and assured that efforts to follow up on the cases of Afghan prisoners abroad will continue.
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