Taliban and US sign landmark peace deal in Qatar, laying out a timetable for full US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan as it seeks an exit from its longest-ever war
More than 18 years since US began bombing, accord sets stage for US troop pullout from Afghanistan. If the deal is successful, the"graveyard of empires" will have once again successfully turned away another world power from its landlocked borders.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo witnessed the signing of the accord, while Defence Secretary Mark Esper separately issued a joint declaration with the Kabul government. Kabul government also committed to engage with UNSC to remove Taliban members from sanctions list by May 29.More than 18 years since President George W Bush ordered bombing in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks, the agreement will set the stage for the withdrawal of US troops, some of whom were not yet born when the World Trade Center collapsed on that crisp, sunny morning that changed how Americans see the world.
Members of the Taliban delegation gather ahead of the signing ceremony with the United States in the Qatari capital Doha, on February 29, 2020. The agreement is expected to lead to a dialogue between the Kabul government and the Taliban that, if successful, could ultimately see the Afghan war wind down.
The Taliban's spokesman in Doha, Suhail Shaheen, told a Qatari newspaper that he expected the group's presence in the Gulf state to continue after Saturday's signing to facilitate engagement with the Kabul government.Qatar, a peninsula nation protruding from the Arabian desert into the Gulf and better known for its gas riches and controversial 2022 World Cup bid victory, was a seemingly unlikely choice to host negotiations.
Islamabad played a crucial role in advancing mediation efforts between the Taliban and Washington, positioning itself as a powerful bargaining force in the future of Afghanistan. "If the Taliban and the government of Afghanistan live up to these commitments, we will have a powerful path forward to end the war in Afghanistan and bring our troops home," he said on the eve of the event.The US, which currently has between 12,000 and 13,000 troops in Afghanistan, could draw that number down to 8,600 within months of the agreement being signed.
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