Sources within Doha say that the most recent round of talks between the
US and Taliban have worked out a peace deal for Afghanistan. The plan is to announce it formally in a few days, giving the US time to inform the Afghan government on what’s been decided.
Details aren’t being made public so far, but US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad
is heading to Kabul to brief the government there, and will subsequently
travel to Brussels to inform NATO about what is going on.
Despite the indications this is a done deal, President Trump is still being very coy, saying that as far as he is concerned there is “no timeline” for ending the Afghan War, and that he is “in no rush.”
Trump has been publicly of two minds on Afghanistan for a long time,
however, conceding that the war is a waste and should be ended while at
the same time saying he’s also perfectly fine with America’s longest war
dragging on even longer.
Trump always works by his own script: if you want something badly, just say the opposite to make sure the opponent starts doubting and perhaps lower some demand. In this case however, I expect the Taliban to be fully aware of it and to be in even less hurry. This is in the end not the “fast” real estate world, we’re talking generational thinking as many cultures actually are steeped in.
https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2019/08/26/americans-stand-defeated-taliban-says-peace-deal-u-s-imminent/
I think this Breitbart piece expresses the same facts.
I believe the Taliban have a vision intertwined with Russia’s and China’s cooperation to bring Afghanistan into a more 21st century mode than we’re accustomed to hear about from western analysts. The focal point will be mining and agriculture. Not poppy growing.