1. Follow for live tweets of the SFRC hearing with Zalmay Khalilzad: https://www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/us-policy-on-afghanistan-042721

2. Menendez: only way for the Taliban to avoid pariah status is to engage in the democratic process, reach a peace deal, and respect women's rights. He does not envision continued aid if the Taliban gain power & govern outside of these parameters.

3. Risch claims the US should demand a conditions based reduction of troops and keep a CT presence in Afghanistan. Reject the idea of a regional approach.

4. Sen. Risch expresses "serious concerns" about oversight over future aid to Afghanistan. He is "skeptical" about the security of the US embassy.

5. Amb. Khalilzad: Decision to withdraw made on 4 judgments: (1) original objective was to "root out al Qaeda" & AQ degraded; (2) terror threat geographically dispersed; (3) mission no longer makes sense; (4) a course reversal not in US interest. No return to status quo possible.

6. Amb. Khalilzad: will hold the Taliban accountable on CT commitments. US will remain engaged in the diplomatic process to achieve a political settlement and permanent ceasefire. US will support "continuing partnership" with Afghanistan.

7. Khalilzad: "with the support of Congress" the US will continue substantial security and civilian assistance.

8. Khalilzad: claims he has repeatedly sought the release of hostage Mark Frerichs from Taliban.

9. Khalilzad: "We have urged Pakistan's leaders to exercise their considerable leverage over the Taliban to reduce violence."

10. Khalilzad: "Our troops deserve to come home."

11. Menendez: Why do you think the Taliban have been fighting?

Khalilzad: They are fighting to expel foreign forces.

Menendez: Would you agree they wish to establish an emirate?

Khalilzad: They have stated that but also that they changed.

12. Khalilzad: claims that if the Taliban pursue an emirate over a political settlement then they will have a long war in front of them with their fellow Afghans.

13: Menendez: "If I don't get the report [on the status US-Taliban agreement commitments), then there will be no more authorizations from this Committee."

14. Menendez: asks about the Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghans.

Khalilzad: says they are developing a plan but does not go into specifics.

15. Sen. Romney: thanks Khalilzad for his efforts over the years. Also makes a note of the sacrifice of US soldiers.

Claims that US soldiers "believed" that what they were fighting for was in the best interest of their brothers and sisters and America.

16. Khalilzad "We have had no fatalities since that agreement [US-Taliban Agreement] was signed over a year ago."

17. Khalilzad: US is less satisfied with the levels of violence inflicted on Afghans after the agreement.

18. Romney: What do you predict? Relative stability or imminent collapse?

Khalilzad: Reject imminent collapse. Choice is between a negotiated political settlement or a long war. "I hope they [Afghan leaders] will learn the mistakes of the past."

19. Romney: asks about Iran's support for stability.

Khalilzad: Iran is opposed to a Taliban takeover and supports a political settlement.

20. Sen. Coons: I am concerned about our ability to implement robust assistance if the Taliban fall short of basic commitments on fundamental human rights or violence escalates.

21. Khalilzad: we would like to have robust assistance but it depends on the performance of Afghans.

Development assistance provides us with "leverage" over the Taliban.

22. Coons: What are China's core interests in Afghanistan? Also, is there a scenario where Afghanistan would request UN peacekeepers?

Khalilzad: Chinese were satisfied to see the US deal with the challenge of Afghanistan & terrorism. Now China and other neighbors have to rise.

23. Khalilzad: China has said their core concern is terrorism from Afghanistan. But there are also economic interests. "Core number one interest is the terrorism interest."

24. Khalilzad: "Peace settlements where a third party enforcer tend to last longer. Academic literature demonstrates that."

25. Sen. Johnson: Is there evidence that the Taliban truly want to move forward?

Khalilzad: we will have to see. We have made it clear that ending their pariah status depends on it.

26. Khalilzad: security situation so dire that even some Afghan elites with 2 children send them to school on alternating days so they do not lost both at once to an attack.

27. Khalilzad: "The issue is should we use US troops to enforce particular values, especially when we have been there for 20 years in a war for which there is no military solution? We have other instruments that will remain relevant and powerful in my view."

28. Khalilzad: Key instrument to incentivize compliance by the Taliban and Afghan government is to make assistance conditional.

29. Risch: What is your view of the future of women's rights enshrined in the Afghan constitution if the Taliban take over the government?

Khalilzad: "We should be concerned..." US will have to use diplomatic engagement, assistance & recognition as leverage.

30. Risch: Do you agree we should hold the $300 million additional assistance if the government may fall to the Taliban?
Khalilzad: Assistance is conditional.
Risch: I mean in the interim shouldn't we hold onto the $?
Khalilzad: $ is to demonstrate support *during* transition.

31. Sen. Murphy: We need to accept the "facts on the ground." What would it look like if we stayed another year at our current levels?

Khalilzad: We would be back at war with the Taliban. Military balance was turning in the favor of the Taliban over the last several years.

32. Khalilzad: "There was no military solution."

33. Murphy: US has been "midwifing" Afghan military capabilities for years with little progress. Was it lack of capacity or the ANDSF chose to conveniently rely on the US?

Khalilzad: ANDSF capabilities advanced a lot from nothing. Mentions 40,000 special forces.

34. Sen. Portman: compares US troop numbers in Afghanistan to larger troop numbers in places like Qatar.

*Declines to distinguish war zones from non-war zones.

35. Khalilzad: The reason there have been no US casualties is because of the agreement with the Taliban.

36. Portman: Concerned that Afghanistan will become a safe haven for terrorists again.

37. Sen. Booker: how credible are the Taliban CT assurances? We have no basing agreements in CA. How difficult will it be for the US to operate in the region?

Khalilzad: there will be some degradation in intel but given nature of the threat capabilities are sufficient.

38. Booker: How will admin address Afghan drug trade?
Khalilzad: Results of counter-narcotics efforts don't reflect efforts made. As long as there is demand, supply will continue from someplace. Some efforts will continue.

39. Sen. Hagerty: How will the admin support diplomacy and the US Embassy after a withdrawal?

Khalilzad: There will be a right sizing of the embassy but this will not decrease its capabilities.

40. Khalilzad: "If we had not withdrawn, would have implied undermining diplomacy in terms of the peace negotiations that started based on the agreement to withdraw and would have increased violence in Afghanistan...in other words an indefinite war."

41. Sen. Kaine: ? we're grappling with is whether we should start a third decade of US combat operations in Afghanistan. "I support President Biden's decision because I think the consequences that I just put on the table are not after 20 years dependent on the US military."

42. Kaine: Am I right in assuming that regional countries prefer a stable Afghanistan?

Khalilzad: "Region has to rise to the occasion." Afghanistan has sometimes functioned as a proxy war but a stable Afghanistan is also an economic opportunity for the region.

43. Sen. Shaheen: Claims concerns over women's rights "fell on deaf ears" with previous admin. Shows photos of 7 Afghan women who were murdered in 2020 & honored w/ State Dept. International Women of Courage Award to "put a face" on "Taliban values" and high violence.

44. Shaheen: describes the murders & torture of Afghan women pictured. Concludes w/ an Afghan midwife killed in hospital attack by 3 Taliban along w/ a baby and mother.
"I will not support any efforts that will allow them [Taliban] to continue to commit these horrific attacks."

45. Shaheen: an arbitrary withdrawal deadline will undo progress on women's rights.

"I believe we have to keep up this effort [int'l support for women's rights] after the US withdraws."

46. Sen. Young: Have we achieve our core national security objectives in Afghanistan?

Khalilzad: AQ is degraded significantly & the problem of terrorism has become more diffused. We need to posture ourselves to deal with that threat differently than we have done for 20 years.

47. Young: Is it true there would be a spike in violence targeting US personnel if we stayed in Afghanistan?

Khalilzad: If we remained, then we would be back at war.

Young: "So this is the decision, whether or not we go back to war."

48. Young: Will the admin continue to ask Congress for substantial financial assistance to ANDSF?

Khalilzad: Yes

Young: will it be used for contractors?

Khalilzad: Not part of the agreement so contractors also leaving. Afghans are looking for others to provide that service.

49. Young: how can we support ANDSF to manage CT threads?

Khalilzad: we'll continue to have a relationship with the ANDSF. We have a shared concern and the ANDSF are a "national asset" for Afghanistan. US presence in region will partly compensate for departure of US forces.

50. Khalilzad: there will be difficulties in intel collection but given gains of withdrawal it is a better option on-balance opposed to an "open-ended war with no prospects of success."

51. Sen. Van Hollen: Another tool available to the US is increasing the amount of trade between the US, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

References Reconstruction Opportunity Zones: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40627.pdf

52. Khalilzad: I look forward to detailed discussion of the ROZ proposal.

53. Van Hollen: Asks about Pakistan and the TTP. Notes that Pakistan helped facilitate dialogue. Asks what the nature of Pakistani support is currently.

Khalilzad: Pakistan has been supportive of efforts to press the Taliban to negotiate and reduce violence.

54. Khalilzad: "Pakistan has a special responsibility given its influence over the Taliban." We appreciate their help but "we are not there yet."

55. Van Hollen: warns about leaving a vacuum and urges the US to stay engaged. Urges President Biden to call Prime Minister Khan.

56. Sen. Schatz: Asks about what will happen to the 6,150 US national contractors? How will the admin protect everyone else aside from the soldiers and diplomats? Will there be a corresponding reduction in contractors?

Khalilzad: Yes-withdrawal of contractors part of agreement.

57. Schatz: submits question for more precise answer over specifics and pace of contractor withdrawal.

58. Schatz: how will the US support NGOs and provide equipment to them?

Khalilzad: takes question for record bc it involves multiple agencies.

59. Schatz: asks about refugees:

Khalilzad: process of making plans and takes question for record.

Schatz: says we will need to know resource requirements.

60. Menendez: Is the reduction at the US Embassy due to increase violence in Kabul?

Khalilzad: Many factors exist in a decision & I suspect that is one of the factors.

61. Menendez: "We have 300,000 Afghan security forces up against 80,000 Taliban"...asks what we have done that means that the "Taliban can overrun the country" despite this ratio?

"I am not sure what we have accomplished after so many lives and national treasure."

62. Menendez: who is leading contingency planning if there's civil war or humanitarian crisis?

Khalilzad: The NSC leads the interagency process and will take your message back. There is need to be a lead person or lead institution for future contingency planning for Afghanistan.

63. Menendez: Thanks Khalilzad, adjourns hearing, but record open until end of tomorrow.