U.S., Taliban sign accord to end war in Afghanistan, draw down American troops
The landmark agreement signed Saturday to end the United States’ longest war calls for the U.S. to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan within 14 months, but it is less demanding about what the Taliban needs to do to fight terrorism.
But as current and former officials examined the fine print, they discovered the deal requires the withdrawal not only of U.S. troops, but also some 8,000 military personnel from other countries, who play a key role in training Afghan army and police, plus tens of thousands of contractors and “nondiplomatic” personnel, a designation that would seem to include CIA officers who perform a vital counter-terrorism function in Afghanistan.
Trump celebrated the agreement at the White House Saturday, opening a news conference focused on the coronavirus by thanking Americans who had fought in Afghanistan over the last two decades. In reaching a deal with the Taliban, a coalition of largely ethnic Pashtun militia groups who imposed a harsh form of Islam on the country and allowed Osama bin Laden and other terrorist leaders to operate from their territory, Trump has at least on paper achieved the makings of a potential ending of the conflict.
Taliban leaders staged what amounted to a brief victory parade on Doha streets before the signing ceremony, likening the deal to previous triumphs over other foreign powers who sought to occupy Afghanistan, including the British and the Soviets. Even the prisoner release plan was criticized by lawmakers such as Rep. Tom Malinowski , a former State Department human rights official, who said in a tweet that Pompeo “made a commitment to me and other members of Congress” that the Afghan peace deal would not require prisoner releases.that saw attacks across Afghanistan drop sharply.
Ahead of the signing of the deal in Doha, Ghani met with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Kabul. The two sides appear far apart, with Ghani and his advisors seemingly intent on a deal that allows the Taliban to join the government, while Taliban negotiators appear to have in mind a more far-reaching overhaul that would give them a major voice in running the country.
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