The US and the Taliban have signed an agreement aimed at paving the way towards peace in Afghanistan after more than 18 years of conflict.
The US and its Nato allies have agreed to withdraw all their troops from the country within 14 months if the militants uphold the deal.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Taliban leaders attended the signing ceremony in Doha in Qatar.
Talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban are due to follow.
Under the agreement signed in Doha, the militants also agreed not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in the areas they control.
Trump making peace everywhere.
Democrats silent.
Kevin, the Democrats are not silent. They will bitch and complain about any Trump success.
Peace with honor.
I hate to be The Narrator here, but the Taliban won’t honor this agreement. The second we’re out of Afghanistan, al-Qaeda will be back there, and they will resume their reign of terror and destruction.
Frankly, Steve, let them rain terror all over Afghanistan. That is the Afghanis’ problem, no?
If GWB is so damn concerned–or Obama–let them suit up and go over there to fix it. I’ll buy the AR’s and the first 1000 rounds.
Trump’s idea of a good business deal is one where everyone involved gets to make money. If the Taliban clans find Trump’s deal better than al-Qaeda’s offer it will work for the short term. Long term will be dependent upon policy carryover by subsequent administrations and keeping the likes of al-Qaeda too poor to share resources.
Bin Laden originally ingratiated himself in Afghanistan by digging a couple of water wells and handing out food staples. The price has certainly gone up since then, but Americans can conduct welfare at the same world-class level as warfare so it’s at least worth a try as long as the Taliban remains amenable. This is just age-old dollar diplomacy being done Trump-style.
Merlin,
I’d like to understand what I believe, and possibly incorrectly, what you’re saying.
Are you suggesting we financially support the Taliban in order for us to ingratiate ourselves to them and keep the peace?
Since the days of Thomas Jefferson 100% of all foreign aid has been spent in the hope of influencing favorable behaviors of friends and foes alike. Some allies are able to be bought, but most are just rented. Folks need to stop acting like Donald Trump invented dollar diplomacy.
It used to be the British and French we had to outspend. Now it tends to be the Russians and the Chinese. Sometimes secret pallet loads of cash have been sent to extremely hostile nations. Sometimes we underwrite disastrous revolutions like the Arab Spring and the Syrian “rebels” that morphed into ISIS. And Ukrainians whose silence apparently can’t be bought. We’ve been known to make mistakes handing out money.
Aid would necessarily be directed to Afghanistan as a nation with expectations of specific infrastructure improvements in specific areas of the country. Influencing both official government and tribal warlords with codependence may or may not work. How hard can it be to at least slightly improve the plight of people who still live like the Flintstones?
Militarily beating the Afghans into submission hasn’t worked. We have little to lose in a new effort.
Except tax money.
US purchases of goodwill have–overall–been expensive, and eventually breed the “spoiled brat” problem (see, e.g., NATO.)
For a real change, we ought to try “You get NADA, Jack, because we don’t NEED your fleabitten self or your s***hole country.”