The Taliban issued a statement Monday calling on President-elect Joe Biden to honor the US peace agreement to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by May. The deal was reached last February with the Trump Administration, and most of the US troops have left.
The Taliban statement reiterated that they want the war ended, and not prolonged. Biden has not yet commented on if he will commit to the existing US peace deal, though some of his aides are endorsing intra-Afghan diplomacy.
The political environment in the US has meant Trump and Biden could rarely endorse one anothers’ policies. The Afghan peace deal is a signed treaty, however, and the US dishonoring that after a regime change is potentially as shocking as Trump dishonoring the nuclear deal with Iran.
20 years into the Afghan War, ti’s clear there was no victory to be had, and that a peace deal was the only real way out of the conflict. Despite this, there was resistance to the idea of ending the conflict, likely just from the momentum it already had.
Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan which is not recognized by the United States as a state and is known as the Taliban and the United States of America February 29,2020
PART ONE
The United States is committed to withdraw from Afghanistan all military forces of the United States, its allies, and Coalition partners, including all non-diplomatic civilian personnel, private security contractors, trainers, advisors, and supporting services personnel within fourteen (14) months following announcement of this agreement.
The US withdrawal is unconditional.