US, Taliban Reportedly Reach Truce Agreement
A senior US 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 Associated Press reports.
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 added the US 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 February 29 and that the inter-Afghan dialogue would begin on March 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.
Late last year, US President Donald Trump called off secret peace talks with the Taliban because of an attack that killed two Americans.
He later stated that talks with the Taliban are “dead” as far as he’s concerned.
