Foreign troops to quit Afghanistan in 18 months: Peace Deal
On Saturday, U.S. negotiators agreed to a draft peace deal. This draft is stipulating the withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan within 18 months of the agreement being signed. This was reported Taliban officials.
The details were given to Reuters Taliban sources. This news came at the end of six days of talks with U.S. special peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in Qatar. This was aimed at ending the United States’ longest war.
Neither side released an official statement. But Khalilzad tweeted later that the talks had made “significant progress” and would resume shortly. He also added that he planned to travel to Afghanistan to meet government officials.
He wrote, “Meetings here (in Qatar) were more productive than they have been in the past. We have made significant progress on vital issues.” He added that numerous issues still needed work.
He said in his tweets, “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and everything must include an intra-Afghan dialogue and comprehensive ceasefire.” A U.S. State Department spokesperson declined to comment any further. It was not clear if the draft described the Taliban sources is acceptable to both sides. It is also not clear when it will be completed and signed.
According to the sources, the Islamic group gave assurances that Afghanistan will not be allowed to be used al-Qaeda and Islamic State militants. They assured that these militants will not attack the United States and its allies. This was a key demand of Washington.
They said that the deal included a ceasefire provision. But they had yet to confirm a timeline. They would only open talks with Afghan representatives once a truce was implemented.
Talks of this peace deal in Afghanistan still seem like a far-fetched dream. But whatever light arises to quell the darkness of war will be welcomed.
