U.S. and the Taliban signed a conditional peace agreement in Doha, Qatar to end of America’s longest-running war
The United States and the Taliban have signed a historic deal in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday to bring an end to the 18-year conflict in Afghanistan – America’s longest-running war.
The U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban’s political chief, Abdul Ghani Baradar, signed a deal in Doha, Qatar, at a ceremony witnessed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Under the deal signed, the United States will withdraw from the 12,000 troops currently in Afghanistan to 8,600 troops in 135 days. The deal calls for a full withdrawal in 14 months if the Taliban lives up to its commitments.
In exchange, the Taliban “will not allow any of its members, other individuals or groups, including al Qaeda, to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies,” according to the agreement.
The agreement also signals the beginning of intra-Afghan talks between the Taliban and the Afghanistan government, scheduled to start on March 10. Meanwhile, the Taliban will have 5,000 prisoners released, while the Afghan government side will have 1,000.
“We’re just at the beginning. Furthering the cause of peace will require serious work and sacrifice by all sides,” Pompeo said. “This agreement will mean nothing and today’s good feelings will not last if we don’t take concrete actions on commitments and promises that have been made.”
In Kabul, Afghanistan, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper joined Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to announce a joint agreement between the United States and Afghanistan. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, other Afghan leaders and foreign diplomats also attended the event to mark the beginning of the lasting peace process in Afghanistan.
“This is a hopeful moment, but it is only the beginning,” Esper said. “The road ahead will not be easy. Achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan will require patience and compromise among all parties. We look forward to the coming weeks and months with great optimism, as we advance these important efforts to finally achieve peace.”
The United States and the Taliban have been at war in Afghanistan since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
