After nearly two decades of a war that has cost tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars, President Trump has made clear his distaste for a continued role in Afghanistan. In December, he detailed the withdrawal of half of America’s 14,000 troops in the coming months.
Still, this is the first time in nine years of intermittent peace efforts that all sides seem serious about reaching a deal that, in the first phase, would exchange a Taliban cease-fire for a phased withdrawal of American forces. The Taliban would also pledge not to allow international terror groups to use Afghanistan as a launching pad for attacks against the United States.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Twitter that the news from Doha was encouraging and that the United States was serious about pursuing peace.
The U.S. is serious about pursuing peace, preventing #Afghanistan from continuing to be a space for international terrorism & bringing forces home. Working with the Afghan gov’t & all interested parties, the U.S. seeks to strengthen Afghan sovereignty, independence & prosperity.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 26, 2019