It is not an easy and rush job to find a political solution to a complex and long-running conflict such as that in Afghanistan, yet the US-Taliban talks dragged on longer than what Afghan people expected. Contrary to its long-held policy of refusing to talk directly to the Taliban, the United States entered into negotiations with the Taliban after President Trump assumed power. A delegation of American interlocutors led by Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has held nine rounds of talks with the Taliban over the past nine months; however, not only have they not contributed to reduction of violence in Afghanistan but the intensity of fighting has been on an upward trajectory since then.
The prolongation of US-Taliban parleys and President Trump’s haste for troop withdrawal bolster the fear that if both sides do not reach a peace deal, Washington may irresponsibly pull US troops out of Afghanistan. Many American officials, including Trump, have signaled in their statements that Washington is seeking to withdraw troops from Afghanistan before the US presidential election slated for November 3, 2020, whether or not a peace deal is struck with the Taliban. These remarks have assured the Taliban of a military victory in the war, thereby giving them an upper hand at the negotiating table. Thus, they set conditions in the negotiations that were previously unexpected. Similarly, Americans have shown a lot of flexibility in talks with the Taliban, primarily due to Trump’s hastiness for troop withdrawal. These factors have stripped Khalilzad of trump card in talks with the Taliban.
For Afghans, the key concern is the reckless US pullout before any political settlement, which will definitely lead to the return of Taliban’s rule. Afghans want peace with the Taliban and see the group as an undeniable element of Afghan politics, but never want the transfer of total power to them. The United States that has waged the war on terror in Afghanistan bears the responsibility to end the war responsibly. The responsible conclusion of the war is indeed not an American favor but responsibility. Therefore, all parties to the conflict must be cautious, and rescue the country from descending into another bloody civil war by preventing an irresponsible US departure.
