8am: Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Peace, has recently lashed out at Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hezb-e-Islami Afghanistan, calling him the “Butcher of Kabul” in a post shared in Persian, Pashto, and English on X. Hekmatyar, for his part, had previously described Khalilzad as the “invisible president of Afghanistan.” Khalilzad’s latest remarks came in direct response to that jibe. Moreover, reacting to Khalilzad’s criticism of jihadist leaders, Hekmatyar stated: “A retired foreign official has no right to insult the mujahideen and jihadist leaders, especially in defense of one faction.” By “faction,” Hekmatyar was clearly referring to the Taliban, whom Khalilzad has repeatedly praised. Click here to read more (external link).