US and Taliban sign peace deal aimed at ending 18-year Afghanistan war: All American troops will be sent home within 14 months and up to 5,000 prisoners released
Daily Mail
February 29, 2020
The United States and the Taliban have signed a peace agreement aimed at ending the 18-year war in Afghanistan, America's longest. The signing could help President Donald Trump fulfill a key campaign promise to extract America from its 'endless wars.'
The deal was signed on Saturday in the Qatari capital Doha by U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on hand to witness the ceremony.
Under the agreement, the U.S. will begin withdrawing thousands of troops in exchange for Taliban commitments to prevent Afghanistan from being a launchpad for terrorist attacks.
If the Taliban meet their commitments, all U.S. troops would leave in 14 months.
The U.S. invaded Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001 attacks to overthrow the Taliban, which had hosted Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida as they planned and celebrated the assault.
The Taliban itself, though a violent group inside Afghanistan, isn't believed to have directly engaged in international terrorism against the West.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper meanwhile traveled to Kabul on a visit that officials and experts said was aimed at reassuring the Afghan government about the United States' commitment to the country.
For Trump, the deal represents a chance to make good on his promise to bring U.S. troops home. But security experts have also called it a foreign policy gamble that would give the Taliban international legitimacy.
2 comments:
Good. Let's go home.
Religious fanatics can not be trusted. That does not mean we should not get the hell out of there.
Post a Comment