November 14, 2019
Trump was right to abandon the Taliban peace deal. Here’s what a good one would look like.
Two months after President Trump declared U.S.-Taliban peace talks “dead,” diplomacy with the Afghan insurgents is reviving. With the administration already having negotiated a framework agreement with the Taliban, the key question now facing Washington is whether simply to dust off the settlement that was shelved in September or seek substantial revisions.
The Taliban’s position is clear: It maintains that the text from earlier this year “contains answers to all issues” and “only needs signing and implementation.” Yet the Taliban’s enthusiasm for the deal underscores why the White House should reconsider its terms.
The predicate for any acceptable peace agreement with the Taliban ought to be their total, unequivocal break with international terrorism. It was, after all, two decades ago, when the Taliban was in power in Afghanistan, that its sheltering of al-Qaeda made possible the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and it was the Taliban’s subsequent refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden that forced the United States to invade.
Read the full article in The Washington Post.
More from CNAS
-
Afghanistan: Hard choices for Biden
Podcast
Adjunct Senior Fellow Christopher D. Kolenda discusses why the future of US troops in Afghanistan could be Joe Biden's first major foreign policy decision. Listen to the full...
By Christopher D. Kolenda
-
What Afghanistan Can Teach Us About Fighting Coronavirus
Commentary
As worried Americans look for answers in the midst of a global pandemic, it is no surprise that many have turned to the symbols and language of war. Public officials from Gove...
By Pat A. Basu & Dr. Jason Dempsey
-
Walk Away from the Taliban, Not Afghanistan
Podcast
General David H. Petraeus (US Army, Retired) and Vance Serchuk speak with ISW Founder and President Dr. Kimberly Kagan on the dangers of the U.S. deal with the Taliban. Liste...
By David H. Petraeus & Vance Serchuk
-
Can America Trust the Taliban to Prevent Another 9/11?
Commentary
For nearly 20 years, the U.S. intervention in Afghanistan has been sustained by a single, vital national interest: the clear and present danger of another September 11–like at...
By David H. Petraeus & Vance Serchuk
