Watch out for Zalmay

Watch out for Zalmay

This was always going to be a year of political intrigue in Kabul, because of the presidential elections. But events have proved even more electric than one could have predicted. One of the more interesting figures is Zalmay Khalilzad, former US ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the United Nations.

Mr Khalilzad's influence did not end with the departure of the Bush administration. The former diplomat was born in Balkh province in the north of Afghanistan, and remains a key political figure, believed to be directly involved in some of the behind the scenes discussions now underway.

Early in the year, despite his repeated and strenuous denials, Khalilzad was himself seen as a possible presidential candidate. At one point, he attended a conference of opposition figures in Dubai, which was organised in order to find one figure to challenge Karzai. The conference was only hastily opened up to the press when Al Jazeera's senior producer Qais Azimy got wind of it, and dispatched myself and a cameraman to "doorstep" the former ambassador outside his hotel.

This is the report we produced at the time:

His quotes to me in that report did not sound very supportive of Karzai. The two men used to be very close. In fact, during the 2004 Presidential election, the charge made against the then-serving US ambassador was that he was acting as Karzai's secret campaign manager.

Mr Khalilzad never made a presidential run, and exactly where he stands now is unclear.

I have interviewed him several times this year, and it is difficult to glean much from his public statements, but it appears he may now be back in the Karzai camp. Some media reports suggest Karzai talked to the former ambassador about the proposed role of Chief Executive. This post is a suggestion by western governments, concerned about the way the country is being run on a day-to-day basis.

Karzai is not believed to favour the idea, but if he is forced to have a Chief Executive, he may prefer someone he has worked well with in the past.

The next few days are likely be crucial, and - guess what - Zalmay Khalilzad, the man they used to call "the Kingmaker" has just arrived back in Kabul "on a personal visit".