Hopes that the end of Eid al-Adha would lead to an announced peace deal in Afghanistan has not happened, at least not yet, with the latest round of Doha talks ending Monday with the Taliban saying that “both sides agreed to consult their respective leaderships for next steps.”
Details are still emerging on the most recent talks, and are likely to do so for the next couple of days. There was no indication that any specific obstacle remains, and indications are the peace deal looks roughly the same as it has after the last couple of rounds.
The deal would see foreign troops withdraw, in return for the Taliban keeping ISIS and al-Qaeda out of Afghanistan. The hope was that a ceasefire might’ve been announced this week, and that Taliban-Afghan power-sharing talks would begin
Which apparently isn’t to say that the talks went badly. The Taliban said work over the weekend was “tedious and effective,” suggesting they are continuing, at least slowly, to march forward toward a final pact.
USSA, following the path of the old USSR, will be whipped out of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Erik Prince and his al-CIAda mercenaries stand guard over the poppy fields. He smiles and shakes his head.
No Deal? Damn! – we offered them terms of unconditional surrender (theirs) and they refused – ungrateful wretches!
Not close enough to the election for ADD electorate says the marketing department.
“In return, the Taliban would commit to various security guarantees, including that the Islamist hardliners who long harboured al-Qaeda would not allow Afghanistan to become a safe haven for militant groups.”
Right to the bitter end with this load of hooey. And then asking them to commit to not allowing militant groups in while calling them “Islamist hardliners”.
Poppy planting starts in September and harvest is in February. Looks like we get one more crop in before we leave. Wonder if China agreed to stop or slow down their Fentanyl production in exchange for some tariff relief. Looks like we’re set to stay until next year.
Jason writes: “The deal would see foreign troops withdraw…”
As I read in a report yesterday, “the deal” — according to the US — was for the withdrawal of ***ONLY HALF OF THE US TROOPS***. This leaves me with the feeling that Jason is being disingenuous or inaccurate when he writes “The deal would see foreign troops withdraw…”. Phrasing it that way leaves the impression, consistent with the widespread hope that the US is finally getting the hell out — completely out, as in ***ALL US TROOPS***– of that f*cking hell hole.
So, with all due respect, which is it, Jason: a partial withdrawal, which is no real withdrawal, or a complete withdrawal? Without that essential detail this piece is just totally bogus.
“The deal would see foreign troops withdraw, in return for the Taliban keeping ISIS and al-Qaeda out of Afghanistan”
Two points:
1) This deal could have been made in 2002. The US was in Afghanistan for 16 more years – because there was money to be made for the military-industrial complex.
2) The Taliban won’t be able to keep ISIS and Al-Qaeda out of Afghanistan and neither will whatever government is in Kabul – because the Afghan military – Taliban or otherwise – doesn’t have the capable troops. Also the expense of maintaining the Afghan army will come from the US taxpayer because the Afghan government doesn’t have the money to support a large army.
One more point: the reason the US will continue to maintain troops – and contractors – in country is because the CIA is using US troops and contractors to export the opium for their off-budget black ops programs. So the US will *never* actually leave Afghanistan, no matter what the deal and this will be a continuing source of friction with the Taliban.
“The deal would see foreign troops withdraw, in return for the Taliban keeping ISIS and al-Qaeda out of Afghanistan.”
Something tells me there are those on the U.S. side who aren’t at all interested in a withdrawal from Afghanistan when it was the U.S. who transported ISIS and Al-Qaeda there in the first place!
Withdrawal of foreign troops would include those U.S. proxy forces and the Taliban know it. How is this any kind of an honest deal? We’ll withdraw (wink, wink) while we continue to harass and terrorize you with our vicious proxies (wink, wink). Yeah, that’s the ticket . . .