US, Taliban Sign Peace Agreement to Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan and End War

Andrea Morris
02-29-2020

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The US signed a peace agreement with the Taliban on Saturday in an effort to end 18 years of war in Afghanistan and allow US troops to return home.

Under the terms of the agreement, the US would decrease forces to 8,600 from 13,000 in the next 3 to 4 months, The Associated Press reports. The remaining US forces would pull out within 14 months.

The complete withdrawal of troops would depend on the Taliban meeting their obligations to prevent terrorism.

The Washington Post reports the deal indicates that the Taliban will agree to enter into negotiations with the Afghan government and will not support terrorist groups that intend on attacking the West.

After the agreement is signed, the Afghan government must put together a negotiation group and move forward with a prisoner exchange.

The Taliban gave US negotiators the names of 5,000 Taliban prisoners currently detained by the Afghan government. And the soldiers announced 1,000 members of the Afghan security forces in Taliban custody would be freed in exchange.

"This is a test for the Americans," said former senior Taliban official Abdul Salam Zaeef. "When this step is taken properly, then we'll go to negotiations."

A group of Republican legislators released a letter on Thursday cautioning that the Taliban has "a history of extracting concessions in exchange for false assurances."

"They will accept nothing less than a full-scale U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Our withdrawal would allow terrorist groups in Afghanistan to grow stronger and establish safe havens from which to plot attacks against us," the letter stated.

A peace agreement with the Taliban is a foreign policy goal for President Trump, who has promoted an end to the war.

In a White House statement on Friday, Trump called the deal "a powerful path forward to end the war in Afghanistan and bring our troops home."

"Ultimately it will be up to the people of Afghanistan to work out their future. We, therefore, urge the Afghan people to seize this opportunity for peace and a new future for their country," he added.

US representative Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar signed the agreement at a hotel in Doha, Qatar on Saturday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo witnessed the signing and called the moment "historic."

President Trump thanked the thousands of American troops who have served in Afghanistan, adding that the agreements are a result of their grueling efforts.

"We honor your service and the sacrifices you and your families have made for the American people," Trump said.

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About The Author

Andrea Morris
Andrea
Morris

Andrea Morris is a Features Producer for The 700 Club. She came to CBN in 2019 where she worked as a web producer in the news department for three years. Her passion was always to tell human interest stories that would touch the hearts of readers while connecting them with God. She transitioned into her new role with The 700 Club in August 2022.
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