Although previous attempts to reach an agreement between the Taliban and the US have proven futile, this time around the agreement might hold but only if the Islamic group keeps its word to stay away from terror and open a dialogue with the Afghan government.
It's been three weeks since Washington signed an historic agreement with the Afghan political movement and military organisation, the Taliban, aimed at ending a 19-year conflict in the nation.
According to the deal, the US will start gradually withdrawing its 12,000 troops stationed in the war-torn country until their final removal within a period of 14 months.
Until then, American soldiers are expected to continue their counter terrorism activity against such groups as al-Qaeda and Daesh* and will continue to support the Afghan government and their security forces, who have been fighting the Taliban for years.
Apart from the gradual pullout, the agreement also stipulates a prisoner swap between the Taliban and Afghan security forces and presupposes that troops will only be removed in exchange for the Taliban's commitment to maintaining stability in the region as well as their entering into a round of peace talks with the Afghan government.
What are the Taliban's Real Intentions?
“We have noted the agreement but [we also] have concerns about it”, said Javid Faisal, spokesman for the Afghanistan Security Council. “There are areas of [the deal] that we don't agree with but we hope…
