US-Taliban Peace Agreement: "US Troops to Withdraw from Afghanistan within 14 Months if Conditions Are Met" (Update)

Nerd Trump, President of the United States, is visiting Bagram Air Base in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, to encourage the troops.
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] The United States and the Afghan armed group Taliban reached a peace agreement on the 29th (local time) to end the armed conflict that has lasted for over 18 years.

After meeting in Doha, Qatar on the same day, representatives from both sides announced in a joint statement prior to signing the agreement that if the Taliban adheres to the condition of halting armed actions, the US troops deployed in Afghanistan and the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) international coalition forces will all withdraw within 14 months.

According to the so-called 'Doha Agreement' reached that day, the US military plans to reduce its forces to 8,600 in the first phase within 135 days starting from that day. Currently, about 12,000 US troops are stationed in Afghanistan.

NATO also supported the agreement and stated it would reduce its deployment, but added that if the situation deteriorates, it could reinforce its troops again. The United States plans to send the Doha Agreement with the Taliban to the United Nations Security Council to request endorsement and guarantee of its validity and implementation.

At Doha that day, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived on the US side, and senior Taliban leaders including Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef arrived on the Taliban side. If the agreement between the two sides is properly implemented, the military conflict between the US camp and the Taliban that has continued since the US invasion of Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks could come to an end.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.