(RepublicanPress.org) – Representatives of the Trump administration and the Taliban signed a peace deal in February 2020. The US agreed to withdraw about a third of its troops from Afghanistan within 135 days of signing the agreement and the remaining troops by May 1, 2021. However, on March 18, news outlets began reporting that President Joe Biden was considering delaying the troop withdrawal until November.
NEW: President Biden is considering keeping US troops in Afghanistan until November, rather than withdrawing them by the May 1 deadline outlined in an agreement negotiated between the Trump admin. and Taliban, per two people familiar with the discussions. https://t.co/DJ74pkpdzJ
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 18, 2021
As one might expect, Taliban officials aren’t thrilled at the possibility of U.S. troops extending their stay. Taliban negotiator Suhail Shaheen told reporters a delay would constitute a “violation of the agreement,” adding it would result in an unspecified “reaction.”
Arguably, the situation with the Taliban remains tricky. A Friday report from The Hill indicated that there’s been an uptick in unclaimed violent acts throughout the country, which calls into question whether or not the group has fully respected the terms of the agreement. However, this move could wipe out years of negotiations within months. Hopefully, both sides can quickly resolve this latest challenge to lasting peace in the region.
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