DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The United States signed a peace agreement with Taliban militants on Saturday aimed at bringing an end to 18 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan and allowing U.S. troops to return home from America’s longest war.
Under the agreement, the U.S. would draw its forces down to 8,600 from 13,000 in the next 3-4 months, with the remaining U.S. forces withdrawing in 14 months. The complete pullout, however, would depend on the Taliban meeting their commitments to prevent terrorism.
President George W. Bush ordered the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Some U.S. troops currently serving there had not yet been born when the World Trade Center collapsed on that crisp, sunny morning that changed how Americans see the world.
It only took a few months to topple the Taliban and send Osama bin Laden and top al-Qaida militants scrambling across the border into Pakistan, but the war dragged on for years as the United States tried establish a stable, functioning state in one of the least developed countries in the world. The Taliban regrouped, and currently hold sway over half the country.
Four Wisconsin cops injured after suspected drunk driver barrels toward crowd, sparks police chase
Ohio man convicted after trying to shoot ex-wife at point-blank range inside restaurant in chilling video
Cruz faces rowdy crowd at College GameDay while promoting the Protect College Sports Act
‘Just Because They Hated Guns’: Trump Pardons Sailor Biden’s ATF Put Away for 20 Years Over a Toy Gun
Dem handlers lash out when Ramaswamy staffer confronts their boss about debate: ‘No pictures’
Blue state governor’s pardon of convicted felon torpedos a major Supreme Court immigration fight
Trump says a united Ireland would be ‘fantastic’
This Couple Trapped Children in a Trailer for Years: Now Florida Is Seeking the Death Penalty
The one line from JD Vance’s GOP keynote that reveals his vision for America
Abdul El-Sayed touts ‘whole a–’ medical credentials while defending sex changes for children
God Took Me from Deformity, a Basement, and Agoraphobia to the Atlanta Hawks Locker Room
Any ‘Iran Deal’ Must Include Justice for American Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism
Liberal Donors, Corporate Interests Conspire to Help Left-Leaning Republicans in Deep Red Wyoming
Nike Stock Marks Years of Declines, Leaves the S&P 100 Index After Years of Woke Marketing Stunts
White House unloads on violent ‘criminal alien’ nabbed after investigators uncover election offense
The U.S. spent more than $750 billion, and on all sides the war cost tens of thousands of lives lost, permanently scarred and indelibly interrupted. But the conflict was also frequently ignored by U.S. politicians and the American public.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended the ceremony in Qatar, where the Taliban have a political office, but did not sign the agreement. Instead, it was signed by U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
The Taliban harbored bin Laden and his al-Qaida network as they plotted, and then celebrated, the hijackings of four airliners that were crashed into lower Manhattan, the Pentagon and a field in western Pennsylvania, killing almost 3,000 people.
Addressing reporters after the signing ceremony, Pompeo said the U.S. is “realistic” about the peace deal it signed, but is “seizing the best opportunity for peace in a generation.”
He said he was still angry about the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and that the U.S. will not ”squander” what its soldiers “have won through blood, sweat and tears.” He said the U.S. will do whatever is necessary for its security if the Taliban do not comply with the agreement.
Pompeo had privately told a conference of U.S. ambassadors at the State Department this week that he was going only because President Donald Trump had insisted on his participation, according to two people present.
Dozens of Taliban members had earlier held a small victory march in Qatar in which they waved the militant group’s white flags, according to a video shared on Taliban websites. “Today is the day of victory, which has come with the help of Allah,” said Abbas Stanikzai, one of the Taliban’s lead negotiators, who joined the march.
Four Wisconsin cops injured after suspected drunk driver barrels toward crowd, sparks police chase
Ohio man convicted after trying to shoot ex-wife at point-blank range inside restaurant in chilling video
Cruz faces rowdy crowd at College GameDay while promoting the Protect College Sports Act
‘Just Because They Hated Guns’: Trump Pardons Sailor Biden’s ATF Put Away for 20 Years Over a Toy Gun
Dem handlers lash out when Ramaswamy staffer confronts their boss about debate: ‘No pictures’
Blue state governor’s pardon of convicted felon torpedos a major Supreme Court immigration fight
Trump says a united Ireland would be ‘fantastic’
This Couple Trapped Children in a Trailer for Years: Now Florida Is Seeking the Death Penalty
The one line from JD Vance’s GOP keynote that reveals his vision for America
Abdul El-Sayed touts ‘whole a–’ medical credentials while defending sex changes for children
God Took Me from Deformity, a Basement, and Agoraphobia to the Atlanta Hawks Locker Room
Any ‘Iran Deal’ Must Include Justice for American Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism
Liberal Donors, Corporate Interests Conspire to Help Left-Leaning Republicans in Deep Red Wyoming
Nike Stock Marks Years of Declines, Leaves the S&P 100 Index After Years of Woke Marketing Stunts
White House unloads on violent ‘criminal alien’ nabbed after investigators uncover election offense
Trump has repeatedly promised to get the U.S. out of its “endless wars” in the Middle East, and the withdrawal of troops could provide a boost as he seeks re-election in a nation weary of involvement in distant conflicts.
Trump has approached the Taliban agreement cautiously, steering clear of the crowing surrounding other major foreign policy actions, such as his talks with North Korea.
Last September, on short notice, he called off what was to be a signing ceremony with the Taliban at Camp David after a series of new Taliban attacks. But he has since been supportive of the talks led by his special envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad.
Under the agreement, the Taliban promise not to let extremists use the country as a staging ground for attacking the U.S. or its allies. But U.S. officials are loath to trust the Taliban to fulfill their obligations.
The prospects for Afghanistan’s future are uncertain. The agreement sets the stage for peace talks involving Afghan factions, which are likely to be complicated. Under the agreement, 5,000 Taliban are to be released from Afghan-run jails, but it’s not known if the Afghan government will do that. There are also questions about whether Taliban fighters loyal to various warlords will be willing to disarm.
U.S. officials say the eventual withdrawal of all American and allied troops from Afghanistan is not contingent on any specific outcome in talks among the Taliban and other Afghan factions about the country’s future. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the agreement.
It’s not clear what will become of gains made in women’s rights since the toppling of the Taliban, which had repressed women and girls under a strict brand of Sharia law. Women’s rights in Afghanistan had been a top concern of both the Bush and Obama administration, but it remains a deeply conservative country, with women still struggling for basic rights.
There are currently more than 16,500 soldiers serving under the NATO banner, of which 8,000 are American. Germany has the next largest contingent, with 1,300 troops, followed by Britain with 1,100.
Four Wisconsin cops injured after suspected drunk driver barrels toward crowd, sparks police chase
Ohio man convicted after trying to shoot ex-wife at point-blank range inside restaurant in chilling video
Cruz faces rowdy crowd at College GameDay while promoting the Protect College Sports Act
‘Just Because They Hated Guns’: Trump Pardons Sailor Biden’s ATF Put Away for 20 Years Over a Toy Gun
Dem handlers lash out when Ramaswamy staffer confronts their boss about debate: ‘No pictures’
Blue state governor’s pardon of convicted felon torpedos a major Supreme Court immigration fight
Trump says a united Ireland would be ‘fantastic’
This Couple Trapped Children in a Trailer for Years: Now Florida Is Seeking the Death Penalty
The one line from JD Vance’s GOP keynote that reveals his vision for America
Abdul El-Sayed touts ‘whole a–’ medical credentials while defending sex changes for children
God Took Me from Deformity, a Basement, and Agoraphobia to the Atlanta Hawks Locker Room
Any ‘Iran Deal’ Must Include Justice for American Victims of State-Sponsored Terrorism
Liberal Donors, Corporate Interests Conspire to Help Left-Leaning Republicans in Deep Red Wyoming
Nike Stock Marks Years of Declines, Leaves the S&P 100 Index After Years of Woke Marketing Stunts
White House unloads on violent ‘criminal alien’ nabbed after investigators uncover election offense
In all, 38 NATO countries are contributing forces to Afghanistan. The alliance officially concluded its combat mission in 2014 and now provides training and support to Afghan forces.
The U.S. has a separate contingent of 5,000 troops deployed to carry out counter-terrorism missions and provide air and ground support to Afghan forces when requested.
Since the start of negotiations with the Taliban, the U.S. has stepped up its air assaults on the Taliban as well as a local Islamic State affiliate. Last year the U.S. air force dropped more bombs on Afghanistan than in any year since 2013.
Seven days ago, the Taliban began a seven-day “reduction of violence” period, a prerequisite to the peace deal signing.
“We have seen a significant reduction in violence in Afghanistan over the last days, and therefore we are also very close to the signing of an agreement between the United States and the Taliban,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday in Brussels.
He was in Kabul on Saturday for a separate signing ceremony with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper. That signing was intended to show continuing NATO and U.S. support for Afghanistan.
“The road to peace will be long and hard and there will be setbacks, and there is a risk always for spoilers,” Stoltenberg said. “But the thing is, we are committed, the Afghan people are committed to peace, and we will continue to provide support.”
Story cited here.
