The US has withdrawn troops from five bases in Afghanistan and reduced the size of its forces there as part of the agreement it signed with the Taliban earlier this year. The Pentagon made the announcement on Tuesday, saying that the US had decreased its troop numbers to 8,600 as stipulated in the agreement and transferred the bases to its Afghan partners. Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman further highlighted that US military presence in the country was focused on capabilities rather than numbers, and asserted that it retained the “capabilities and authorities necessary to protect ourselves, our Allies and partners, and US national interests.”
Also read: The US-Afghan “Peace” Accord: What Happens Next?
On February 29, the US and Taliban signed a ‘historic’ deal, which aimed to carve a path towards ending America’s longest war, one that has stretched nearly two decades. The document, titled ‘Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan,’ outlined a series of commitments from the Taliban and the US relating to counter-terror measures, troop levels, and intra-Afghan dialogue, which would help bring about a permanent comprehensive ceasefire, and pave the way for sustainable peace in the country. The deal also laid out a 14-month timeline for the US and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to withdraw all their troops from the region.
However, major fault lines of the agreement were quickly exposed. The lack of specific, measurable, and enforceable commitments from the Taliban allowed for differences in interpretation of the agreement, which has been difficult to resolve. Violence by the Taliban has continued unabated following the signing of the peace deal, and a recent UN report revealed that the group had failed to fulfill one of the key tenets of the agreement: to sever ties with al-Qaeda.
Also read: New UN Report Highlights Fragility of the US-Afghan Peace Accord
The Pentagon’s statement on Tuesday, however, did not mention Taliban’s continued links to al-Qaeda, which have cast a shadow on the already fragile deal. The deal stipulates that the US will fully withdraw from Afghanistan by May 2021 if the Taliban meets the precondition of severing ties with terrorist groups. However, given that the Taliban has already fallen foul of this, it remains to be seen whether the US will withdraw more troops in the coming year.
Image Source: NBC News