{"id":10999,"date":"2020-02-13T14:55:16","date_gmt":"2020-02-13T14:55:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/02\/13\/as-peace-agreement-looms-us-opens-2020-with-near-record-january-bomb-drops-against-taliban\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:01:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:01:09","slug":"as-peace-agreement-looms-us-opens-2020-with-near-record-january-bomb-drops-against-taliban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/flashpoints\/2020\/02\/13\/as-peace-agreement-looms-us-opens-2020-with-near-record-january-bomb-drops-against-taliban\/","title":{"rendered":"As peace agreement looms, US opens 2020 with near record January bomb drops against Taliban"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Recent developments indicate the U.S. and the Taliban<\/a> are nearing a breakthrough to end the 18-year long war but U.S. warplanes have not relented in keeping pressure on the militant group to bring the conflict to a diplomatic close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020 kicked off with a near record number of munitions released by American warplanes<\/a> for the month of January in nearly a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to U.S. Air Forces Air Central Command, U.S. warplanes dropped 415 bombs in January \u2014 just slightly under the 10-year high of 463 munitions released in 2019 for that month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

January has opened with a bang as the Afghan<\/a> and U.S. military maintain pressure on the Taliban and other militant groups despite diplomatic talks to bring the fighting to a halt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told reporters Thursday in Brussels that the U.S. and Taliban have negotiated a proposal to reduce violence over a seven-day period and that \u201cprogress\u201d has been made in the talks that have appeared to slog on with no end in sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\t