US and Taliban’s "agreement for bringing peace" ILW LAW CRITIQUE Tue, Mar 03, 2020, at ,12:11 PM The United States of America and the Taliban have signed a deal to end the 18-year-old conflict in Afghanistan which is costing the USA a fortune. US officials and Taliban representatives have signed an agreement after months of negotiations in Doha, Qatar's capital. The agreement was signed in the presence of leaders from Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, India, Indonesia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. President Trump said it had been a "long and hard journey" in Afghanistan. "It's time after all these years to bring our people back home." Highlights of Agreement: The deal was signed by US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as a witness. USA and NATO allies will withdraw all troops within 14 months if the militants uphold the deal. Cease-fire among U.S., Taliban, and Afghan forces The militants also agreed not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in the areas they control. Within the first 135 days of the deal, the US will reduce its forces in Afghanistan from 12,000 to 8,600 Around 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 Afghan security force, prisoners would be exchanged by 10 March US will also lift sanctions against the Taliban and work with the UN to lift its separate sanctions against the group. War in Afghanistan The War in Afghanistan, code named Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–14) and Operation Freedom's Sentinel (2015–2020), followed the United States invasion of Afghanistan of 7 October 2001, when the United States of America and its allies successfully drove the Taliban from power in order to deny al-Qaeda a safe base of operations in Afghanistan. Since the initial objectives were completed, a coalition of over 40 countries (including all NATO members) formed a security mission in the country. The war has since mostly involved the US and allied Afghan government troops battling Taliban insurgents. The war in Afghanistan is the longest war in US history. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001 on the US, which President George W. Bush blamed on Osama bin Laden who was living or hiding in Afghanistan and had already been wanted since 1998, President Bush demanded that the Taliban, who were de facto ruling the country, hand over bin Laden. The Taliban declined to extradite him unless they were provided clear evidence of his involvement in the attacks, which the US refused to provide and dismissed as a delaying tactic and then on 7 October 2001 launched Operation Enduring Freedom with the United Kingdom. (Source: Wikipedia)