Washington (CNN) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to name Zalmay Khalilzad as a special envoy on Afghanistan, according to a senior US official and another source familiar with the matter.

Khalilzad is a diplomatic veteran, having served as a US ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the United Nations. A source told CNN that Khalilzad is close to all of the players, knows the region well and is known by the Afghans.

"He's a charmer," one source said. "And knowing him, he wouldn't do it if he didn't have a chance. With the right mandate he could be quite effective."

Reuters first reported the news.

The 67-year-old Khalilzad, who is Afghan-born, served as a foreign policy adviser to multiple administrations and held several diplomatic posts under President George W. Bush's administration.

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