The Trump administration’s deal with the Taliban has passed its first important deadline, but hopes for peace in Afghanistan remain as weak as ever.
Last week’s agreement between the United States and the Taliban reached the 135-day mark, the point at which the US Army needed to cut 8,600 soldiers and withdraw from five bases. Both goals were met, the Pentagon said.
At the same time, the firestorm over whether Russia offered rewards to the Taliban for killing US troops, and a brazen Taliban attack on an intelligence complex in northern Afghanistan, lowered low expectations for ending the longest war in U.S.
A day after the 135-day market expired, the top U.S. general in the region painted a grim picture of prospects for further progress.
“We were expecting to see a reduction in violence,” Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of the United States Central Command, told Voice of America last week. “And while the Taliban have been scrupulous in not attacking US or coalition forces, in fact, violence against Afghans is greater than it has been in a long time. It is one of the highest and most violent periods of the war that we have seen today. ”
The agreement between the United States and the Taliban was intended to precede talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, seen as essential to a true peace in Afghanistan. The document specified a start date of March 10 for the talks.
But months later, those talks have yet to begin amid an endless exchange of prisoners and intensified Taliban attacks on Afghan forces.
In Monday’s high-profile attack, the Taliban detonated a car bomb outside an Afghan intelligence complex in the city of Aybak and then fought Afghan forces inside the complex for hours, killing 11 and injuring more than 60 people. plus.
“The current level of violence, especially fueled by Taliban attacks against the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, remains unacceptably high, causing instability and undermining confidence in the peace process,” said the North Atlantic Council of NATO in a statement last week.
United States Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who negotiated the deal with the Taliban, condemned Monday’s attack even as he praised the “key milestone” of the deal that reached 135 days.
“There has been great, albeit slow, progress in the release of prisoners,” he tweeted. The Taliban and Islamic Republic negotiating teams have made progress in the logistics of the intra-Afghan talks. No American has lost his life in Afghanistan due to Taliban violence. Regional relations have improved. “
“But more progress is needed in the fight against terrorism,” he added. “And the violence has been high, especially in the last days and weeks. Afghans continue to die in large numbers for no reason. “
The agreement between the United States and the Taliban also called for the total withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan within 14 months if the Taliban follow through on their commitments to prevent terrorists from using the country to launch attacks against the West.
But in addition to high levels of violence, McKenzie also cast doubt on the Taliban’s compliance with anti-terrorism commitments.
“The most important conditions, of course, are that we must be sure that ISIS and al Qaeda do not have the opportunity to be housed in Afghanistan and carry out attacks against the West,” he told Voice of America. “At this time, it is simply not clear to me that the Taliban have taken positive steps in those areas. They can still come to that, and time is not up. But I haven’t seen it really develop yet. So I think we are coming to a pretty important moment in this process. “
President Trump
Donald John Trump Kanye West says Harriet Tubman “never freed slaves” at rally Trump-Afghanistan deal passes key period, but evasive Republican peacekeepers in worst-hit states separated by COVID response -19 MORE, who campaigned in 2016 promising to end America’s so-called endless wars, has indicated that he wants American troops to leave Afghanistan for the 2020 elections in November, regardless of the status of the Taliban deal.
But he faces additional pressure not to back down after revelations that US intelligence indicated that a Russian military intelligence unit offered rewards to Taliban-linked militants for killing US and coalition troops in Afghanistan. Critics argue that it is other evidence that the Taliban cannot be trusted.
Retired General John Nicholson, who led the US and NATO troops in Afghanistan from 2016 to 2018, recommended in a testimony before Congress and a Washington Post opinion piece that part of the US response. The rewards should be to stop any further reduction.
“Our long war in Afghanistan will have a lasting end only if an agreement is reached at the peace table,” Nicholson wrote last week. “In recent months, each time the table is advanced, the Taliban have encountered more violence on the ground, who have the support of Russia.”
Secretary of state Mike Pompeo
Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoWhistleblower alleges repeated attempts were made to report that Pompeo’s “questionable activities”, the Trump-Afghanistan deal pass the key deadline, but evasive peace Democrats warn of new human rights priorities of USA MORE He spoke last week to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, where he said he “made it clear to the Russians that we needed their support” to end the war in Afghanistan.
“We talk a lot about Afghanistan and the need to achieve the result that President Trump has established, which is to reduce the role of the United States there as quickly as possible, ultimately to get our combat forces out of Afghanistan in a way that is conducive to a peaceful reconciliation among all the Afghan people, “Pompeo said at an event organized by The Hill.
“We have made it clear to our Russian counterparts that we must work together to achieve a more sovereign, more independent and peaceful Afghanistan,” he added.
Pompeo also said he spoke to Khalilzad about “the progress we are making” in Afghanistan.
“It is hard work, but I think we are making real progress there,” Pompeo said.
But lawmakers from both parties remain deeply skeptical of Trump’s deal with the Taliban.
Earlier this month, the House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment by the representatives. Jason CrowJason Crow Tunisia-Afghanistan deal passes key deadline, but Cook, elusive to peace, shifts 20 House districts toward Democrats Congressional inconsistency continues regarding war powers MORE (D-Colo.) And Liz Cheney
Elizabeth (Liz) Lynn Cheney The agreement between Tunisia and Afghanistan passes the key term, but it is difficult to achieve peace Defense overnight: the Pentagon effectively prohibits the Confederate flag | LGBT groups warn that politics also affects the Pride flag | Trump is reportedly watching the withdrawal of troops from South Korea Dancing without a beat: Republican candidates look like Elaine in Seinfeld MORE (R-Wyo.) That would require the administration to make several certifications to Congress before it can withdraw in Afghanistan. The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was approved in a committee vote 45-11.
“We need to make sure that we are denying terrorists safe havens. We need to make sure that we can continue anti-terror activity, ”Cheney, the House’s No. 3 Republican, said at the time.
Responding to criticism that the amendment would tie Trump’s hands, Cheney argued that the measure “establishes, at a very responsible level of specificity, what will be required if we are indeed going to make decisions about troop levels based on the conditions based on what is required for our own security, not based on political deadlines. “
Meanwhile, in the Senate, lawmakers easily rejected a Senate NDAA amendment. Rand paul
The Randal (Rand) Howard Paul Trump-Afghan deal passes the key deadline, but evasive Republican peace lawmakers push the amendment to rescind authority for troops in Afghanistan. The Republican legislator of the House of Representatives tests positive for COVID-19 MORE (R-Ky.) To eliminate all US troops from Afghanistan within a year. Earlier this month, the Senate voted 60-33 to present Paul’s amendment, effectively killing it.
As it stands now, the Senate NDAA version warns against a “hasty retreat” from Afghanistan and would require a report on threats to the United States emanating from Afghanistan, as well as what the plan is to transfer security-related tasks to Afghanistan effective.
However, non-interventionist Republicans, like Paul and progressive Democrats, say it is time to bring American troops home from the 19-year war.
Freedom House Caucus President Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) And Rep. Thomas massie
Thomas Harold Massie Tunisian-Afghan deal passes key deadline, but peace is elusive Battle is brewing in oversight of coronavirus relief Republican lawmakers push amendment to rescind troop authority in Afghanistan (R-Ky.) Earlier this month he urged Trump to withdraw from Afghanistan, as well as Iraq.
“You better listen to his instincts about this momentous decision,” they wrote in a letter to Trump. “The American people have paid dearly in both blood and treasure for past mistakes. We will stand firm in your corner when you decide to bring our forces home. “
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