Taliban And US Signed A Historic Deal To End Afghanistan War

Peace deal signed in Qatari capital, Doha, will pave the way for the complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.

Ariana News Agency- 

After a week-long “reduction in violence,” the US and Taliban have signed a historic agreement Saturday, which would set into motion the drawdown of US troops from Afghanistan and potentially pave the way to ending America’s longest-fought war.

The agreement was signed in Doha, Qatar, by US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad — the chief US negotiator in the talks with the Taliban — and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar — the Taliban’s chief negotiator. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo witnessed the signing.

Speaking at the ceremony, Pompeo said the US “will closely watch the Taliban’s compliance with their commitments, and calibrate the pace of our withdrawal to their actions.”

“This is how (we) will ensure that Afghanistan never again serves for international terrorists,” Pompeo said.
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper was in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday for a joint declaration ceremony with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

According to Afghanistan’s national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib, the joint US-NATO-Afghan declaration includes an 18-month withdrawal of foreign troops.
“But it is conditional on the agreement between the Taliban and the United States. If those conditions are not met, this date will also change,” he said.

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he had dispatched Pompeo to “witness the signing of an agreement with representatives of the Taliban” and Esper to “issue a joint declaration with the government of Afghanistan.”