Foreign troops to quit Afghanistan in 18 months under draft deal

[Swordsmyth]

Trump Gives Conditional Go Ahead on Peace Deal With Taliban, Officials Say

[Swordsmyth]

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he thinks there is a "good chance" the United States would reach an agreement with the Taliban by the end of February on a U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.Trump's comments were the latest indication of significant progress in negotiations that the United States and the Taliban have been holding since December in Qatar.
"I think we're very close," Trump said on a podcast broadcast on iHeart Radio when asked if a tentative deal had been reached. "I think there's a good chance that we'll have a deal ... We're going to know over the next two weeks."


Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the talks had achieved "a pretty important breakthrough." Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the sides have been negotiating a proposed seven-day reduction in violence that some lawmakers saw as a test of the Taliban leadership's control of its fighters.
Sources had told Reuters a U.S.-Taliban peace deal could be signed this month, a move that would pave the way for a withdrawal from Afghanistan of some 13,000 U.S. troops and thousands of other NATO personnel, 18 years after a U.S.-led coalition invaded following the Sept. 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on the United States.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/u-taliban-neg...143826808.html

[enhanced_deficit]

Fort Drum soldier dies in Afghanistan

By FOX 5 NY Staff

Updated 8 hours ago



article
Spc. Branden Tyme Kimball, a Fort Drum-based soldier, died in AfghanistanNEW YORK - A soldier from Fort Drum, in northern New York, has died in Afghanistan.
Spc. Branden Tyme Kimball, 21, died at Bagram Airfield in a non-combat related incident on Feb. 12, 2020, the Department of Defense announced, which did not release the exact nature of the incident.
Kimball was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, based out of Fort Drum. He served as an aircraft structural repairer, according to Col. Darrell Doremus, the commander of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade.
"As we mourn the loss of one of our own, our thoughts and prayers are with the people that knew [him] best: his family, friends, and the soldiers he worked with each and every day," Doremus said in a statement on Facebook. "Our hearts reach out to those that will grieve for him today, tomorrow, and long into the future."
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed flags on state government buildings to be flown at half-staff on Friday in Kimball's honor.
"We are devastated by his loss and join his fellow soldiers, his family, and his friends in honoring his service to our nation," Cuomo said in a statement. "His death is a reminder of the sacrifices members of the military make to protect the freedoms and the values that this state and this nation were founded upon."Kimball was originally from Central Point, Oregon. He was in Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

fox10phoenix.com/news/fort-drum-soldier-dies-in-afghanistan

[Swordsmyth]

A senior U.S. official said Friday the United States and the Taliban have reached a truce agreement that will take effect “very soon” and could lead to withdrawals of American troops from Afghanistan.The official said the agreement for a seven-day “reduction in violence” to be followed by the start of all-Afghan peace talks within 10 days is “very specific” and covers the entire country, including Afghan government forces. There were indications a formal announcement could come as early as the weekend.
The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Taliban had committed to a halt in roadside and suicide bombings as well as rocket attacks. The official said the U.S. would monitor the truce and determine if there were any violations.
Should the Taliban comply, the “reduction in violence” agreement would be followed by the signing of an agreement that would initiate peace negotiations that include all Afghan sides.
A Taliban official familiar with the deal said the second agreement would be signed on Feb. 29 and that the inter-Afghan dialogue would begin on Mar. 10. The officials said Germany and Norway have offered to host the talks but there has been no decision on the venue.
That Taliban official added that the withdrawal of foreign troops would start gradually and would be phased over 18 months.

More at: https://apnews.com/fa41245d47d48332b10c8aeadcd6cb73

[Zippyjuan]

Supposedly there was a deal this summer too. Nothing happened (except Trump called it off). Like his Israel "peace deal", these talks leave out one of the major parties. In the case of Israel, the Palestinians were left out. In these talks, the Afghan government is left out. And the end goal is not a compete withdrawl but a further reduction in troops- from 12,000 to about 8,600. It does not even call for a cease fire but a "reduction in violence" for just one week. But it is a start.

https://www.npr.org/2020/02/14/80598...in-afghanistan

Administration officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity at the Munich Security Conference, say there will be a seven-day "reduction in violence" but did not specify when it would start. The seven days are meant as an initial confidence-building measure.

The next step would involve the signing of an agreement between the U.S and the Taliban. That would pave the way for intra-Afghan talks to determine the future of Afghanistan and the role the Taliban could play in it.

The U.S. military will monitor the reduction in violence, according to a senior administration official.

A weeklong decline in violence would be an abrupt shift from one of the most violent years of the 18-year conflict. An overall deal with the Taliban would lay out a four-and-a-half month timetable to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan to 8,600 from around 12,000.

This initial agreement was worked out by U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad and the Taliban over months of negotiations in Doha, Qatar. The U.S. and Taliban had reached an agreement last summer, but President Trump walked away from that near-deal in September after a U.S. service member was killed in a car bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan.

[Swordsmyth]

A senior US official announced Friday that a ceasefire deal with the Taliban has been agreed to after 16 months of controversial direct State Department and Taliban negotiations, AP reports, as part of the continuing Trump administration saga to finally get out America's 18-year war.
The deal is being described as "very specific" — a positive sign considering recent perhaps more ambiguous ceasefire attempts have quickly failed before even getting off the ground — and includes a seven day "reduction of violence" nationwide which is to be a precursor to all-Afghan peace talks within 10 days.


Defense Secretary Mark Esper had first hinted at the deal in comments on Friday, saying Washington had "negotiated a proposal for a seven-day reduction in violence."

According to the AP, the end goal if this new deal sticks would "initiate the peace negotiations and the withdrawal of U.S. troops".
The AP describes the conditional precursor as follows:

The official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Taliban had committed to a halt in roadside and suicide bombings as well as rocket attacks. The official said the U.S. would monitor the truce and determine if there were any violations.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitic...e-5000-taliban

[Swordsmyth]

And in the latest survey, 64% of Afghans say they believe reconciliation with the Taliban is possible, a jump of 11 percentage points in only one year.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/afghan-triump...194014694.html

[Swordsmyth]

The Taliban's deputy leader said the group would soon sign a agreement with the United States to reduce violence for seven days, adding that militant commanders were "fully committed" to observing the "historic" accord."That we today stand at the threshold of a peace agreement with the United States is no small milestone," Sirajuddin Haqqani wrote in an opinion piece in the New York Times, in the first significant public statement by a Taliban leader on the accord for a week-long reduction in violence (RIV).
The agreement in principle, which was struck during negotiations between U.S. and Taliban representatives in Qatar, could lead to a withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.
"Achieving the potential of the agreement, ensuring its success and earning lasting peace will depend on an equally scrupulous observance by the United States of each of its commitments," wrote Haqqani, who is also head of the Pakistan-linked Haqqani Network.
Clashes between Afghan forces and Taliban fighters have continued, but Afghanistan's acting interior minister said on Tuesday an agreement to cut violence would be enforced within five days.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/historic-u-ta...134546929.html

[Swordsmyth]

An agreement between the United States and the Taliban could come as soon as February 29 in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement released Friday.
According to Pompeo, the U.S. "reached an understanding with the Taliban" on a reduction of violence that could lead to the signing of a U.S.-Taliban agreement next week. The signing is dependent upon the "successful implementation" of the agreement, Pompeo said.
Last week, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the deal includes a seven-day "reduction in violence." A senior State Department official confirmed the reduction in violence period will start tonight Afghanistan time, and the signing will take place on the 29th in Doha between a Taliban representative and U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khlalilzad.

"Intra-Afghan" negotiations would start "soon thereafter" to eventually lead to a ceasefire in Afghanistan, Pompeo said.
"The only way to achieve a sustainable peace in Afghanistan is for Afghans to come together and agree on the way forward," he said.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/secretary-sta...121341574.html

[Zippyjuan]

An agreement between the United States and the Taliban could come as soon as February 29 in Afghanistan, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement released Friday.
According to Pompeo, the U.S. "reached an understanding with the Taliban" on a reduction of violence that could lead to the signing of a U.S.-Taliban agreement next week. The signing is dependent upon the "successful implementation" of the agreement, Pompeo said.
Last week, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the deal includes a seven-day "reduction in violence." A senior State Department official confirmed the reduction in violence period will start tonight Afghanistan time, and the signing will take place on the 29th in Doha between a Taliban representative and U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khlalilzad.

"Intra-Afghan" negotiations would start "soon thereafter" to eventually lead to a ceasefire in Afghanistan, Pompeo said.
"The only way to achieve a sustainable peace in Afghanistan is for Afghans to come together and agree on the way forward," he said.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/secretary-sta...121341574.html

So they will sign the understanding on a one week "reduction in violence" after that one week is over. Note they don't call it any actual "agreement" but an "understanding". Trump has had several "understandings" with North Korea on their weapons programs which have continued unabated.

They did say that all troops will not be withdrawn until there is an agreement between the Taliban, the US, and the Afghan government. Problem is, the Taliban does not recognize the Afghan government and won't even talk to them. Lots of noise but not much really happening. Election year politics?

[RonZeplin]

[Swordsmyth]

So they will sign the understanding on a one week "reduction in violence" after that one week is over. Note they don't call it any actual "agreement" but an "understanding". Trump has had several "understandings" with North Korea on their weapons programs which have continued unabated.

They did say that all troops will not be withdrawn until there is an agreement between the Taliban, the US, and the Afghan government. Problem is, the Taliban does not recognize the Afghan government and won't even talk to them. Lots of noise but not much really happening. Election year politics?

It's getting closer and you can't stop it.

[Zippyjuan]

It's getting closer and you can't stop it.

Heard that before. "We will be leaving Syria in 30 days". Trump- December, 2018.

[Swordsmyth]

[Swordsmyth]

The United States and the Islamists it toppled from power in Afghanistan are poised to sign a peace deal Saturday after a conflict that outlasted two U.S. commanders in chief and is now led by a third eager to fulfill a campaign promise to extricate America from “endless wars."

U.S. troops are to be withdrawn to 8,600 from about 13,000 in the weeks following Saturday's signing. Further drawdowns are to depend on the Taliban meeting certain counter-terrorism conditions, compliance that will be assessed by the United States. But officials say soldiers will be coming home.

Already, some U.S. lawmakers and veterans of the conflict have raised red flags about any agreement with the Taliban.
Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming led 21 Republican legislators in demanding that the administration not concede anything to the Taliban that would allow them to once again harbor those who seek to harm U.S. citizens and interests. Cheney, the daughter of former President Bush's vice president, Dick Cheney, urged Pompeo and Esper in a letter to reject any commitment to a full withdrawal of American troops.

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/us-taliban-se...213300996.html

[Warlord]

I'll believe this when it happens. There have been many false dawns regarding Afghanistan.

[Ender]

I'll believe this when it happens. There have been many false dawns regarding Afghanistan.

Exactly.

The key sentence is: if Taliban meet commitments to prevent terrorism. The Taliban are not the "terrorists" in their own country.

[oyarde]

Even Zippy supports the peace deal.

[Warlord]

Rand is going to be happy. First the potential to gut the PATRIOT Act coming up and now Afghanistan. One thing is for sure; expect the Neocons to push back, especially in Congress.

[oyarde]

Rand is going to be happy. First the potential to gut the PATRIOT Act coming up and now Afghanistan. One thing is for sure; expect the Neocons to push back, especially in Congress.

That is as happy as you will see Pence & Rand together . Great job .

[enhanced_deficit]

To give credit where due, this could be historic if validated/ led to bringing back home MAGA troops surges of 2017 and years before that.

Nobel Peace Prize awards commitee, are you reading this news?

Bold move too as this carries some political risk. Some of his converted supporters like Dennis Prager had authored articles like "Immorality of leaving Iraq and Afgahnistan". Might even pose some 2020 political funding risk as his top donor is a widely respected pro Iran war globalist neoconservative. But all pro liberty folks should stand with POTUS on this.


Related

PSA: Taliban peace deal reduces troop levels to start of Trump presidency

September 10
Andrew McCarthy: Taliban terrorists have no place at Camp David



Peace deal dead between US and Taliban
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/andr...sts-camp-david

Ted Cruz: 'U.S. policy has changed, now we make deals with terrorists'
https://www.politifact.com/factcheck...-make-deals-t/

[devil21]

Does this mean Congress can repeal the original AUMF finally? The whole thing was based on the 9/11 Afghan invasion in the first place. I'll believe it's for real when the AUMF is legally vacated.

[enhanced_deficit]

To be fair, this does not look like historic North Korea-Trump Peace Summit though that was also accused of having "no clear goals" and later had faltered.



NBC News
Trump says U.S. military 'ready if necessary' ...

[acptulsa]

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...aw+afghanistan

Yes, and here's where you heard it. Now celebrate like it could actually happen, mundane. And next time you hear it, act like you never heard it before.

[acptulsa]

Ahead of which schedule? This schedule? Or that schedule:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...aw+afghanistan

?

[Swordsmyth]

Ahead of which schedule? This schedule? Or that schedule:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...aw+afghanistan

?

The schedule after the deal was finalized.

[acptulsa]

The schedule after the deal was finalized.

You're pretending that answers my question?

Out with it, man. Which (if any) of these many contradictory promises will be kept?