Military Times 2/28/2020 Gannon reported from Kabul, Afghanistan. Associated Press writers Rahim Faiez in Kabul, Lorne Cook in Brussels and Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem contributed.
All U.S. troops to leave Afghanistan in 14 months if Taliban meets commitments of peace deal signed today
The United States and the Taliban have
signed a peace agreement aimed at ending the 18-year war in Afghanistan, America’s longest.
The signing could help President Donald Trump fulfill a key campaign promise to extract America from its “endless wars.†Under the agreement, the U.S. will begin withdrawing thousands of troops in exchange for Taliban commitments to prevent Afghanistan from being a launchpad for terrorist attacks.
If the Taliban meet their commitments, all U.S. troops would leave in 14 months.
There are about 13,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, with that number set to drawdown to about 8,600 in the coming weeks. Further drawdowns are to depend on the Taliban meeting certain counter-terrorism conditions, compliance that will be assessed by the United States.
All told, there have been more than 2,400 U.S. troop deaths and nearly 21,000 troops wounded in action since hostilities began.
“America and its allies have made tremendous sacrifices in pursuit of these goals, as have the people of Afghanistan,†Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in prepared remarks, according to a transcript provided by the Pentagon. "We honor our brave service members who have served here, especially those who have been casualties in this war. And we remember the innocent civilians lost in this struggle. The ongoing efforts to achieve a political settlement after many long years of fighting, reflect a shared desire for a sovereign, unified Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbors. "
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https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2020/02/29/all-us-troops-to-leave-afghanistan-in-14-months-if-taliban-meets-commitments-of-peace-deal-signed-today/
