https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-afghan-withdrawal-deal-11583106215?mod=opinion_lead_pos1
President Trump has made clear he wants all American troops out of Afghanistan, and on Saturday the U.S. signed an “agreement for bringing peace to Afghanistan” with the Taliban. The coming months will tell if this is a genuine path to peace or political cover for a U.S. exit.
The good news is that this agreement is better than what the U.S. had seemed to accept in September. The Taliban have killed thousands of Americans, and Mr. Trump shouldn’t reward them with a Camp David signing ceremony as he first suggested.
The Taliban, or at least their representatives, have agreed to negotiate with the elected Afghan government for the first time. The Taliban want to establish an Islamist emirate and have previously refused to talk to the Kabul government. The Taliban have also promised to reduce their attacks on Afghan civilians and troops, as a week long test leading to Saturday demonstrated is possible.
For the first time the Taliban have also forsworn support for al Qaeda and are promising to prevent Afghanistan from being a safe haven for any group planning attacks against the U.S. This is the reason the U.S. sent troops to the country after 9/11, and the deal makes clear this is the main American priority.
