The Taliban continues to urge the US to live up to its end of the deal signed in Doha last year that paved the way for all foreign forces to leave Afghanistan by May 1st.
In comments to Newsweek, Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem said a US commitment to the deal is the best path forward to end the war. “There is no doubt that adherence to the agreement and its provisions will contribute greatly to ending the war and solving problems because it was the result of tremendous efforts,” he said.
“Just as commitment will help in solving problems, so lack of commitment not only does not help in solving problems, but also causes problems and increases them. Therefore, it is necessary for all parties concerned to abide by the agreement,” Naeem added.
The Biden administration is currently reviewing the US-Taliban deal, and neither the US nor NATO has made a decision on the withdrawal, but all signs point to foreign troops staying in Afghanistan beyond May 1st. While US officials accuse the Taliban of not living up to its end of the deal, one commitment the Taliban has kept is its pledge not to attack US troops.
February 8th marked the first full year since the war started in 2001 that no US troops died in combat in Afghanistan. Staying in the country means attacks on US and other coalition forces will start again. A report from The New York Times said the Pentagon is preparing for a “multipronged attack” from the Taliban should US forces remain in Afghanistan.