More than 18 years after the U.S. invasion toppled Taliban rule in Afghanistan, the U.S. reaches a peace agreement with the insurgent group to end the war and bring American troops home. APExplains how the deal was reached and what are the next steps.
U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, left, and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban group's top political leader shack hands after signing a peace agreement between Taliban and U.S. officials in Doha, Qatar, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. The United States is poised to sign a peace agreement with Taliban militants on Saturday aimed at bringing an end to 18 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan and allowing U.S. troops to return home from America's longest war.
Washington’s deal with the Taliban opens the way for the first negotiations between the militants and the troubled Afghan government, which is dependent on U.S. and other foreign backing. The devil will be in the details as former Taliban fighters and Afghan warlords are likely to jockey for power. Afghans — especially women’s rights activists — worry about losing incremental freedoms they’ve gained since the Taliban were overthrown.
The U.S. began covert talks with the Taliban in 2013, first through intermediaries. In September 2018, President Donald Trump appointed Khalilzad to directly negotiate with the Taliban, who had established a political office in the Mideast, in Qatar. But fighting still raged on the ground, even as the two sides got closer to an agreement. In January, the Taliban proposed a temporary cease-fire, which eventually led to Saturday’s signing.The agreement calls for a withdrawal of U.S.
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