Any bets on how long this will last?
2
A definite win for the Taliban. Forcing the foreign invaders out. Makes a good PR campaign, I guess.
But the real winners are their backers; Pakistan, with its support, providing a convenient escape hatch, hole-in-the-wall enclave for R and R. And that article from a month or so ago- Iran, sending those ‘bags of money’ to the Taliban...and who else?
And let’s not forget the Wahhabist version of Islam; another foreign invader.
So in essence, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, have outlasted us; our outrage after 9/11, our hopes for a modernization of Afghanistan that might have allowed half it’s population (that would be women) to take advantage of things we out here in comment-land take for granted; education, free speech, equal opportunity....all those silly Western ideas, - to say nothing of the economic advantages Afghanistan might have in a global world. But hey, now they can model their economy on Pakistan- so successful.
And we aren’t the only ones tired of war, wanting the warm comfort of isolationism. The EU, watching Russia invade various borderlands, does, nothing. Watches Turkey with its return to religion, autocracy, and now show trials (Yigi Aksakoglu) - does nothing. Says, nothing. But that great United Nations...such good members. Keeps on, talking.
All for just 7 days of....reduced carnage. What a deal.
3
A reduction in violence for 7 days? The greatest deal maker in history? This would be laughable if the situation weren't so dire.
3
Good news. This is how we get out of things. There are always people benefiting from US involvement and unhappy to see us go, but that doesn't mean we must remain. Let's not get into the usual "abandoning our friends" criticism or for that matter use our enemies' desire for us to go as an excuse not to.
4
The war in Afghanistan was a deflection of American real interest: remain friends with oil rich Saudi, whose sons had driven the attack of 9/11. It sad that so many US soldiers died in this senseless war but do not forget that many afghan soldiers and police also lost their life and that the killing of thousands of innocent afghan civilians by American drones continues to this day.
The Taliban phenomena has thrived thanks to the US intervention, not in spite of it!
Afghans are probably far less backward than the millions of American that choose as a leader a mafia boss in the name of religion. The same leader that now will sell this fake peace plan with the Taliban without
involving the elected government that America itself has wanted and supported. Taliban and Trump share a misogynistic, dangerous and divisive view of the world. It does not bode well for either.
2
"American officials said on Friday they had agreed with the Taliban on a seven-day reduction in violence in Afghanistan..."
It sounds like a joke, but it is true. After 19 years, the most powerful military in the world not only has not been able to defeat the ragtag Taliban militia but is happy that Taliban is giving it seven days of reduction in violence.
The "seven days" and "reduction in violence" has been obviously asked to allow an orderly withdraw of US forces from Afghanistan. The Trump administration is worried that Afghanistan withdraw could turn into the Vietnam withdraw with navy helicopters picking US officials from the roof of US embassy.
No matter how you look at it, it looks like the mighty US military is running away from Afghanistan having its tail between the legs.
5
"American officials said on Friday they had agreed with the Taliban on a seven-day reduction in violence in Afghanistan that, if it holds, would be followed by an Afghan peace agreement after 18 years of war."
This is not a "peace agreement", this is a "withdrawal agreement".
Trump wants to pull all troops out of Afghanistan before 2020 election. His advisers are now scrambling to meet his election-year deadline. The US is not winning the war there even after 18 years. Trump is fed up, he will do anything to remove all US troops before the election.
I will be happy if the war ends, who won't? But I will be surprised if it happens, there are too many bad actors to spoil, Pakistan, Iran.
3
This does not require any agreement. The Russians realized that war in Afghanistan was un-winnable, so they withdrew. We have finally figured out the same thing, and we are going to withdraw. After years and years of fighting, does anyone really believe that a reduction in violence (not even a ceasefire) for one week is significant? The desire for an agreement is simply a cover, because it sounds better than “retreat.”
11
How does one sign a peace agreement with a nation when we've not declared war? The endles conflict in Afghanistan began, long ago, with a need to find and kill OBL. This we've done. We've never had a charter of any sort to "pacify" the Taliban or bring in an Afghan government of our choosing. We tried that in Viet Nam (my war). Yes, it is possible that terrible things will happen if we go home, but where do we draw the line? What are our actual responsibilities? How has nation-building worked for us in the past? I think the answer is "Not well."
5
So what constitutes a "reduction in violence"? Six IEDs? Three Afghan civilians murdered? Two U.S. troops gunned down by friendly fire? The only thing that's clear is that Trump just wants his Nobel Peace Prize and is willing to sell out the Afghans as much as he did the Kurds.
7
@stu freeman
Realizing, after 18 years, that trying to make something of that tragic country is a fool's errand is "selling out the Afghans"?
1
@Livonian Selling out their democratically elected government by giving them no voice in the deliberations- yes.
3
A seven day offer of " reduction of Hostilities " shows how pathetic the situation is for the foreign forces in Afghanistan. And why would Taliban allow CIA to remain there after the bulk of the American troops leave ? The whole point of the resistance by Taliban to the foreign forces is to declare, assume and execute their sovereignty at the behest of the free people of Afghanistan. The puppet regime has to go .
The Taliban will never stop no matter what they report in the media. They still live in the dark ages.
4
So, ok if you guys don't kill more than oh, I don't know say 10 Americans in the next two weeks and we don't kill any of your guys - whadda say? Do we have a deal?
6
Good. Afganistan is going to fall to the Taliban whether we like it or not. They have obviously failed completely to implement a democracy and as such they deserve what they get. If its American supported warlords vs the Taliban I'd rather America bail and have the warlords battle the Taliban.
7
The “deal” will be for us to leave and Afghanistan to continue, like much of the ME, to rush headlong backwards toward a fundamentalist 8th century. It’s unfortunate, but let’s be honest here, unavoidable. We should let them know that we will not tolerate the place becoming a launch pad for more attacks against the US and just leave them to their backward, modernity hating fate. It’s what they want, and at this point, richly deserve.
5
This is why Trump was impeached. Dude isn't starting new wars every year and he is trying to get out of Afghanistan.
I voted for President Obama, twice, because he said he would stop these stupid wars.
I did not vote for Trump but am pleased at this move.
Cue the Democrats whining about it.
5
This is good, America had been involved for like 18 years now and no sustainable democracy has formed. It's still all the same old warlords as the 1990s, it's an oligarchy at best and a warlord state like Somalia at worst.
It's time to go. The Taliban will eventually win. A outside force cannot defeat a commited local insurgency, at least with the resources that we are willing to commit. Its unfortunate that they will become a Islamic theocracy, but perhaps the warlords can actually unite forces to form a functioning government...perhaps.
Same for Iraq. Unless we are willing to put in like 10X resources we should just give it up to Iran. The only people that we should have helped in the Middle East are the Kurds, and we threw them under the bus to be destroyed by Assad and Turkey.
3
Rather strange agreement. Taliban get to do what they’ve always done and we get to withdraw. Definitely a Trumpian “deal”.
10
The optics are the key in this "decent interval" plan. Once America leaves Afghanistan, the Taliban will own the cities in a few days. We are negotiating our own surrender.
16
@THX1138,
We never had a strategy in Afghanistan. We were never go to 'win' there- we never had a definition of what 'winning' would look like.
You can always go to Afghanistan and save it- no one will stop you. But I am tired of arm-chair generals sending other people's kids to die for no reason.
5
I seem to remember that Kissinger negotiated a cease fire too! And Regan got the Iranians to hold off on releasing our hostages until after the election. So I’m certainly going to trust trump and pompeo to do the honest and honorable thing aren’t you
5
@JD ,
I guess you think the honorable thing is to send young men and women to Afghanistan, to die, for another 10 years with nothing to show for it?
We have no strategy in Afghanistan. We never did. Winning was impossible.
2
@Willt26 no I think we should have gone after the saudis as it was 15 of the 19 who were Saudi citizens but bush and trump need their money. If we are in fact a net positive on oil and gas we should just walk away from the whole region. After they all kill each other we can decide if we want or need to be there.
9