2020-03-12_Beijing_Review

20 BEIJING REVIEW MARCH 12, 2020 http://www.bjreview.com

WORLD

A

fter nearly two decades of war, repre-
sentatives of the U.S. Government and
Afghanistan militant group Taliban signed
a peace deal in the Qatari capital city of Doha
on February 29. For the U.S., the agreement is
an acceptable way to end its military presence
in Afghanistan. Yet, for Afghanistan, it actually
points to the beginning of further turbulence,

rather than opening the way to peace.

According to the long-awaited pact, the

U.S. and NATO will withdraw their military troops

from Afghanistan within 14 months and release

Taliban prisoners held by both the U.S. and

the Afghan Government if the Taliban honors

its counter-terrorism commitments. The U.S.

also promised to lift all sanctions against the

Taliban and provide economic assistance to

Afghanistan without any interference in its in-

ternal affairs. In addition to undertaking not to

provide asylum to terrorists and extremists, the

Taliban agreed to start negotiations with the

Afghan Government to determine a ceasefire

schedule.

Leaving Afghanistan

In short, the deal could be perceived as a major

victory for the Taliban, but a total defeat for the

U.S.

First, the U.S. has officially recognized the

political status of the Taliban. In 2001, when

the Taliban regime was overthrown by a U.S.-

led coalition, the George W. Bush administration

claimed that it wanted to establish a “demo-

cratic” political system to construct a national

consensus in Afghanistan and declined the

Taliban’s participation in the process. The

Taliban was then considered a “protector

of terrorists” that could not be included in a

“democratic” political system. However, with

the resurgence of the Taliban in the following

years, Afghanistan’s future could not be forged

without its involvement. After longstanding ne-

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the role of the Taliban through the peace deal.

Peace Up in the Air

7KHó867DOLEDQóGHDOóPD\óOHDGóWRóPRUHóLQVWDELOLW\óLQó$IJKDQLVWDQóBy Wang Jin

The author is an associate

professor with the Institute

of Middle East Studies at

the Northwest University

of China

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani (center), U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper (right) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hold a joint press
conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, on February 29. They announced U.S. and NATO forces would withdraw from the country within 14 months

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