A physician, onetime chief of staff to the former Afghan king, Mohammad Zahir Shah, and current national security advisor for the nation of Afghanistan, Dr. Zalmai Rassoul discusses a variety of topics related both to his country's present and its future in this interview conducted during a March 2006 visit to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In addition to referencing "warlordism" and the "continuation of war and terrorism," he cites narcotics trafficking as the "main national threat" to Afghanistan. "If we can't win that war," Dr. Rassoul says, "then all the progress we've made so far will be put at risk." In addition, he talks at length about the Afghan government's "reach," the challenges of extending law and order and security to all regions of the country, the role and capabilities of the coalition-trained Afghan National Army, as well as how democracy is filling the void left by what he calls the "completely defeated" Taliban ideology. What's more, Dr. Rassoul discusses his country's respective relationships with the United States, NATO, Pakistan, Iran and India, and shares his hopes for an Afghanistan that is “democratic, moderate, Islamic and peaceful, with strong institutions and that is a center of peace and stability” in Central Asia. “We hope to some day be a strong ally to the United States in this part of the world,” Dr. Rassoul asserts, “to pay back what we have received. I think that’s good for our stability,” he added, “and that’s also part of our culture.”

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