In Afghanistan, Peace Deal - or Terms of Surrender? By Kyle Rempfer - Military Times
After more than 17 years of fighting, U.S. diplomats have been working with Taliban representatives at a breakneck pace to negotiate an end to the war in Afghanistan.
The talks appear to be driven by President Donald Trump, who is eager to close out America’s costly foreign wars.
“Fighting continues but the people of Afghanistan want peace in this never ending war," Trump said Wednesday. “We will soon see if talks will be successful.”
Earlier this week, U.S. diplomats brought news that the Taliban had agreed to a draft peace proposal. The details are still unclear, but it could involve a U.S. troop withdrawal in exchange for the Taliban’s commitment to never again allow Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven for international terror groups like al-Qaida.
The peace negotiations come at a time when the Trump administration is planning for the withdrawal of about 7,000 of the roughly 14,000 U.S. forces that are currently in Afghanistan.