US, Taliban reach interim deal aimed at troop pullout

Bloomberg

The US and the Taliban have reached agreement on a seven-day reduction in violence in Afghanistan that’s intended to lead to a broader accord to end America’s longest war.
A senior US official said that the two sides have a deal on the reduction of violence that, if achieved, would be followed by a peace plan allowing the US to start withdrawing forces. The seven-day curb on attacks is expected to begin soon, the official said, without providing details.
President Donald Trump is gambling that direct engagement with the Taliban, which once provided a safe haven for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, will help him meet a pledge in his 2016 campaign to get America out of what he called “endless wars.”
The Taliban had ruled Afghanistan until a US-led coalition ousted the group after the US invaded the country in 2001. A US delegation led by envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been negotiating with the Taliban since late 2018.
In September, Trump abruptly called off the talks in response to a suicide bombing in Kabul that killed an American soldier. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said “the only solution in Afghanistan is a political agreement. Progress has been made on this front and we’ll have more to report on that soon, I hope.”
A US defense official cautioned that, even with Taliban leaders pledging a seven-day reduction in violence attacks would be likely to continue because of the many splinter groups in Afghanistan.
The official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, also said the Taliban shares US antipathy towards IS, viewing the terrorist group as a dangerous threat.
The administration official who spoke said that the US could withdraw troops in phases but only if the Taliban meet certain conditions.
The US now has about 13,000 of the almost 23,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, down from a peak of 100,000 in 2011.
An agreement would also have to lead to a dialogue between the Afghan government and the Taliban, aimed at agreeing on a lasting ceasefire.
Work towards that dialogue should take place within 10 days of the reduction of violence taking effect, according to the agreement.
The US official declined to say how many troops would remain in Afghanistan as a residual force but added that the core US concern is that the Taliban make good on a commitment in a final peace deal to make sure the country doesn’t become a haven for terrorists that could threaten the US.
That echoed statements made by Esper, when he said the US “is fully committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists to launch attacks against our homelands. And we are committed to maintain that mission at whatever resource level we need.”
Despite the US having spent an estimated $900 billion on the Afghan conflict, the Taliban are at their strongest since being ousted from power.