{"id":60695,"date":"2020-02-21T11:25:21","date_gmt":"2020-02-21T11:25:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/02\/21\/us-taliban-agree-to-reduction-in-violence-paving-way-for-peace-agreement\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T10:04:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T10:04:19","slug":"us-taliban-agree-to-reduction-in-violence-paving-way-for-peace-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/02\/21\/us-taliban-agree-to-reduction-in-violence-paving-way-for-peace-agreement\/","title":{"rendered":"US, Taliban agree to reduction in violence, paving way for peace agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-smg-jwplayer-video\"><atype-video-jwplayer nostick=\"true\" playlisturl=\"https:\/\/cdn.jwplayer.com\/v2\/playlists\/fCzRqMW8?tags=26a82a78-4ed7-44e9-bd05-d5b49834977f\" poster=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/video-poster-26a82a78-4ed7-44e9-bd05-d5b49834977f.jpg\" aspectratio=\"16 \/ 9\" mute autostart=\"false\"><\/atype-video-jwplayer><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The United States and the Taliban agreed to sign a peace deal next week that could end 18 years of war in Afghanistan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. and the Taliban have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2020\/02\/14\/official-says-us-taliban-reach-afghan-truce-agreement\/\" target=_blank>agreed to reduce violence across Afghanistan<\/a> \u2014 paving the way for both parties to shake hands on a peace agreement later this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe United States and the Taliban have been engaged in extensive talks to facilitate a political settlement to end the war in Afghanistan, reduce United States and Allied Forces presence, and ensure that no terrorist group ever uses Afghan soil to threaten the United States or our allies,\u201d Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement Friday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following recent discussions between U.S. and Taliban negotiators in Doha, Qatar, Pompeo said there has been a mutual understanding for a \u201csignificant and nationwide\u201d reduction in violence throughout Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cUpon a successful implementation of this understanding, signing of the U.S.-Taliban agreement is expected to move forward,\u201d Pompeo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The agreement is expected to be inked on Feb. 29, according to Pompeo. Then, intra-Afghan discussions can start to \u201cdeliver a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire and the future political roadmap for Afghanistan,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cChallenges remain, but the progress made in Doha provides hope and represents a real opportunity,\u201d Pompeo said. \u201cThe United States calls on all Afghans to seize this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/02\/21\/as-peace-deal-looms-taliban-tells-fighters-to-avoid-enemy-areas-calls-for-self-defense\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4613641-1.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">As peace deal looms, Taliban tells fighters to avoid enemy areas, calls for self-defense<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">\u201cAll Mujahideen must adhere to their given duties for the upcoming seven days, must remain defensively alert in case of violation by the opposition and must strictly refrain from entering enemy territory.&quot;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has led peace negotiations with the Taliban since 2018. Although discussions stalled in September after President Donald Trump called off a meeting with the Taliban at Camp David, peace talks resumed later in the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Javid Faisal, a spokesman for the Afghan National Security Advisor, said the reduction in violence will last a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBased on the plan, the reduction in violence (RIV) will start between the Taliban and international and Afghan security forces for one week,\u201d Faisal said, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-usa-afghanistan-talks\/u-s-taliban-say-they-will-sign-agreement-on-feb-29-following-violence-cut-pact-idUSKBN20F0WP\" target=\"_blank\">according to Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe hope it is extended for a longer time and opens the way for a ceasefire and intra-Afghan talks,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taliban leaders also told Reuters the understanding to cut down on violence would get underway Friday evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pompeo\u2019s announcement comes after the Taliban\u2019s deputy leader Sirajuddin Haqqani \u2014 who is wanted by the FBI \u2014 penned an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2020\/02\/20\/in-nyt-op-ed-talibans-deputy-leader-wanted-by-the-fbi-pushes-for-complete-us-troop-withdrawal-from-afghanistan\/\" target=_blank>op-ed for the New York Times<\/a> signaling a peace agreement was imminent and would result in the removal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The U.S. could then support step postwar development and reconstruction after troops exit, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMy fellow Afghans will soon celebrate this historic agreement,\u201d Haqqani said. \u201cOnce it is entirely fulfilled, Afghans will see the departure of all foreign troops.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2020\/01\/23\/survey-nearly-half-of-afghans-want-us-troops-out-after-taliban-peace-deal\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6012686.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Survey: Nearly half of Afghans want US troops out after Taliban peace deal<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Nearly half  of all Afghans want U.S. and NATO troops to leave Afghanistan once a peace deal to end the country\u2019s 18-year war is signed with the Taliban, according to a survey released Thursday.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pompeo did not specify in his statement how many U.S. troops would be cut, if the reduction in violence proves successful and a peace agreement advances. However, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has suggested 8,600 U.S. troops would stay in Afghanistan to conduct counterterrorism missions, in addition to train, advise, and assist missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Approximately 13,000 U.S. troops currently remain in Afghanistan. Combat casualties among U.S. troops reached a five-year in 2019, and includes the hostile deaths of 14 soldiers and 3 Marines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cUpon a successful implementation of this understanding, signing of the U.S.-Taliban agreement is expected to move forward,\u201d Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 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