Under the US-Taliban agreement, which was signed yesterday, the United States and its allies will withdraw their troops from Afghanistan within 14 months while the Taliban will not allow any of its members, other individuals or groups, including Al Qaeda, to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies.
According to the agreement, which contains three parts, a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire will be an item on the agenda of the intra-Afghan dialogue and negotiations. “The participants of intra-Afghan negotiations will discuss the date and modalities of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, including joint implementation mechanisms, which will be announced along with the completion and agreement over the future political roadmap of Afghanistan.”
Under the pact, the United States is committed to withdraw from Afghanistan all military forces of the United States, its allies, and coalition partners, including all non-diplomatic civilian personnel, private security contractors, trainers, advisers, and supporting services personnel within fourteen months following announcement of the agreement.
It further states that the United States, its allies, and the Coalition will take the following measures in the first one hundred thirty-five days: 1) They will reduce the number of US forces in Afghanistan to eight thousand six hundred (8,600) and proportionally bring reduction in the number of its allies and Coalition forces. 2) The United States, its allies, and the Coalition will withdraw all their forces from five military bases.
As per the pact, the United States is committed to start immediately to work with all relevant sides on a plan to expeditiously release combat and political prisoners as a confidence building measure with the coordination and approval of all relevant sides.
“Up to five thousand prisoners of the Taliban and up to one thousand prisoners of the other side will be released by March 10, 2020, the first day of intra-Afghan negotiations. The relevant sides have the goal of releasing all the remaining prisoners over the course of the subsequent three months.”
The United States, in the pact, has committed to completing this goal while the Taliban have committed that its released prisoners will be committed to the responsibilities mentioned in the agreement so that they will not pose a threat to the security of the United States and its allies.
With the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, the United States will initiate an administrative review of current US sanctions and the rewards list against members of the Taliban with the goal of removing these sanctions by August 27, 2020, according to the agreement.
It states that with the start of intra-Afghan negotiations, the United States will start diplomatic engagement with other members of the United Nations Security Council and Afghanistan to remove members of the Taliban from the sanctions list with the aim of achieving this objective by May 29, 2020.
“The United States and its allies will refrain from the threat or the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan or intervening in its domestic affairs.”
Under the agreement, the Taliban will not allow any of its members, other individuals or groups, including Al Qaeda, to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies. “The Taliban will send a clear message that those who pose a threat to the security of the United States and its allies have no place in Afghanistan, and will instruct members of the Taliban not to cooperate with groups or individuals threatening the security of the United States and its allies.”
As per pact, the Taliban will prevent any group or individual in Afghanistan from threatening the security of the United States and its allies, and will prevent them from recruiting, training, and fundraising and will not host them in accordance with the commitments in the agreement.
It further states that the Taliban is committed to deal with those seeking asylum or residence in Afghanistan according to international migration law and the commitments of this agreement, so that such persons do not pose a threat to the security of the United States and its allies.
The Taliban will not provide. visas, passports, travel permits, or other legal documents to those who pose a threat to the security of the United States and its allies to enter Afghanistan.
It states that the United States will request the recognition and endorsement of the United Nations Security Council for this agreement. “The United States and the Taliban seek positive relations with each other and expect that the relations between the United States and the new post-settlement Afghan Islamic government as determined by the intra-Afghan dialogue and negotiations will be positive.”
